RADIANCE: Sunny Darkness
by Born of True Destiny
Summary: ShadowClan thought they were safe after their greatest enemy was killed, but hidden dangers still lurk in the darkness, waiting for the right time to strike. A hero must be found, and fast, but all signs point to a strange cat that lives beyond their boundaries. What will become of her? Rated T for violence and death. SEQUAL TO BRIGHT HORROR! Review please!
1. Prologue and Allegiances

**Hello everyone! I am here with the second book of my Bright Horror trilogy, Sunny Darkness. As always, keep reading and keep reviewing!**

Prologue

A storm howled through out the night, and rain pounded into the trees and splattered up, soaking the forest floor. Lightning streaked across the sky, shedding the land with less than a second of blinding white light. Thunder crashed down from the heavens, shaking the forest with its mighty tremors.

A large black tom broke from the trees to a dark clearing, teeth bared. Mud was caked along his pelt as he skidded to a halt. An angry growl shook his lips as he stared through the rain to the clearing. Inspecting every inch, his fur began to lay flat, seeing that no one was out. Satisfied he trudged through the mud to a large opening at the side of a hill that overlooked the clearing. Slipping inside, the storm grew quieter as he fixed his attention to the cave stretched out before him.

Eyes narrowed, he padded along the rim of the cave, paws leaving behind prints of water. It was cold in the cave, and his imbrued fur did not help with keeping warm. He shook out his pelt, spraying water against the pointed stalagmites. At long last he wound his way to an empty nest.

A tuft of black fur stuck out on a piece of bracken. The tom plucked at it with his claw, and emitted a long, vile snarl. With a grunt he lay down in the nest, snapping shut his apathetic amber eyes.

For what felt like moons, nothing happened, and he did not dare open his eyes again, that would break the long awaited connection, and he would have to sit through the same thing again. He would have to wait for awakening to come to him.

The black tom did not lose his patience, no matter how long he was designated to wait in empty, grotesque darkness for the time the world held.

At long last, faint light danced at the edge of his sight. He opened his eyes, and took in the view. His jaw dropped in disgust and surprise. A bare forest floor stretched out beyond him, disappearing within a murky, grayish-brown fog that hung low to his laws. Leafless trees stood so tall, they vanished from sight, before the peaks were sighted. A turbid, thick black river ran beside him, and bubbled with a venomous stench.

"I have been waiting for you."

The black tom whipped around to see a pair of slitted, threatening yellow eyes, clouded and dark through the fog. "Blackstorm, indeed I have."

"Aye," Blackstorm growled. His eyes flew from corner to corner. "What have I told you, the Place of No Stars does exist. I no longer want to hear you speaking bad of it down in the forest. Am I understood?"

The black tom snorted. "Whatever you say, sir. But what did you expect me think? When a cat dies, their life is over, how can they possibly live on? It all seemed quite ridiculous to me."

"Ah," said Blackstorm, "But now you have proof. Forget this, why have you come, exactly?"

"For what ever reason you summoned me," replied the tom, neck fur bristling.

"What do you think?" snarled Blackstorm. "I am dead now, and the Place of No Stars is far from the Clans. That pathetic StarClan keeps up tight barriars; I will not always be able to mentor you. But as long as you have come at our strongest point, the time of a destructive thunderstorm, I suppose I can give you information. I have asked you to meet me, obviously, because you need to take down ShadowClan, and most specifically, Radiantmask."

The tom's mind flashed to when a lean, black and white she-cat had fallen from a tree to her death, after taking Blackstorm's life as well. He scowled in confusion. "But sir, Radiantmask is dead, how do you expect me to harm her when she is safely within the ranks of StarClan?"

Blackstorm's lips curled. "We harm what she still cares of most, and what would she be able to do when she is useless to the living, as she is not? When we take her loved ones, we take her Clan, and when ShadowClan is done for, nothing can stand in our way."

The tom smiled. "And I will lead them?"

"Yes," replied Blackstorm. "I see no one better. Your life was of loss and madness; you are driven to do the worst. As much work as it takes, I will watch you from here, and when the darkness is strong enough, we will rule the forest!"

A horrific laugh shook the Dark Forest as Blackstorm vowed his revenge. His sounds of joy abruptly turned to a rasping hack.

"Work fast, we are getting weaker," he croaked between coughs. "I trust you Midnight, make me proud, and lead the darkness to its fate."

**Allegiances**

ShadowClan

Leader: Smokestar- dark gray tom with gray eyes

Deputy: Pouncefoot- brown and white tom with amber eyes

Medicine Cat: None

Warriors:

Cloudwind- light gray she-cat

Curvefang- tawny tom with a crooked tooth

Soottail- pale gray and black tom

Furledwhisker- ginger tom with blue eyes

Queens:

Scarletfur- bright ginger she-cat with green eyes (mother to Smokestar's kits: Mousekit- light gray she-cat, Stormkit- dark gray tom, Tigerkit- ginger tabby tom)

Elders:

Rainfur- gray tom

ThunderClan

Leader- Cherrystar- cream she-cat

Deputy- Bkackfire- black tom with unusal golden spots

WindClan

Leader- Ivystar- yellowish she-cat with white paws

Deputy- brown tabby tom

RiverClan

Leader: Fishstar- silver tom

Deputy: Ravenheart- black tom

Cats Outside of Clans

Sunny- pale brown and white she-cat with green eyes

Midnight- black tom

Fawn- brown and golden she-cat

Jaws- gray tabby tom

**Yay! This story is getting started! I just want all of you to know that there is going to be a resemblence between the main character and Firestar, so I don't want to hear complaining in the future. Thank you to everyone and review!**

**~Destiny**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello! Here is chapter 1 Make sure you review.**

_We're here!_

The Twoleg monster pulled up the gravel path to a very large nest. Sunny sat in her Twoleg's lap as she scratched her ears. Intently she looked outside, green eyes blazing with excitement.

_The lake nest!_

Late afternoon sunlight shone golden into the monster. Sunny's Twoleg swung open the monster's belly and climbed out, taking Sunny in her arms. A forestry land stretched out before them as warm wind billowed her fur. The fresh scent of lake water swirled around her as the Twoleg set her down.

_Thanks Amy_.

Amy was the name of her Twoleg. It was a very peculiar name, something in the strange Twoleg language Sunny couldn't comprehend, but it suit her well. The Twoleg was short with bare, pale skin with no fur. Tiny flecks dotted her arms and face and russet fur fell from the top of her head resting at her shoulder's and just above her blue eyes. She looked much like her Twoleg mother Amy called "Mom." The male Twoleg was known as "Dad," was a big, broad shouldered thing with black and gray fur on his head and intense brown eyes. At first, when Sunny was a kit, she was intimidated by Dad's appearence, but she learned to accept it, just as they learned to accept her.

The grass was fresh under Sunny's delicate paws, almost untouched by any other creature. The trees were rough and had stick like, pointed leaves, unlike the ones back home, that had smooth bark and bore flat, broad leaves. But she loved it much better here. The trees carried, sweet unfamiliar smells and there were rich scents of prey carried in the breeze. Sunny unsheathed her claws. If only she knew how to hunt.

She padded after Amy to the Twoleg nest. She dragged along with her a vibrant, sky-blue rectangular object with rounded corners and two sticks that connected at the top jutted out. Strung on her back was an oddly she shaped black and white striped item. Sunny never understood the meanings of these Twoleg things, but they were certainly important to Amy and her parents.

Dad opened the moveable hole in the side of the nest and they clambered inside.

Sunny had always found this place to be comfy-cozy. Fake fish hung on the walls and strange, rectangular shaped things with extremely realistic images sat on wooded surfaces. Her favorite one though, was the one with an image of Amy, knealing on the ground, holding up a kit, one that looked exactly like Sunny.

_That must of been from when they first rescued me..._ thought Sunny as she would gaze at the image for hours, just thinking about her life before she was in Amy's possession. She could not ever remember in the waking world, but deep within her dreams, she found flashes of memories, moving so fast she could not make out what was happening. And after she saw them, they would just fade away into the darkness of her slumber, forever gone and lost.

Sunny padded through the nest, taking in every new scent and sight. The walls were now a different color in some places, like they had magically changed; an ant crawled across the soft, gray floor. Sunny sniffed it, and pounced on it, killing it instantly.

_That's probably the closest I will ever get to hunting._

When she had finished exploring, Sunny looked around for Amy. She couldn't find her. She checked for scents, but only found the ones of Mom and Dad, who were resting on cousions in the main den.

Suddenly she caught a smell of strong, flowery berries hanging sweetly in the air. Purring, she followed it, tail high in the air. It led her to the back of the nest, and out of the cat flap, which drifted in the wind. Slipping through, a hard wall of wildnerness scent slapped her in the nose, washing away the joyous smell of Amy. Sunny hissed in frustration, and turnd tail.

A familiar scent of another cat coaxed her back around. It was rather fetid, but carried hints of what Sunny sensed as authoritive and fierce. She thought that maybe that cat could help her find Amy.

As she walked, the trees quickly disappeared, leaving a stretch of moor leading all the way down to the lake. Sunny watched as rabbits bounded from burrow to burrow, out of the sight of predators. The sun was hot on her fur, burning through her pelt and leaving her tired and parched, unlike the lovely shade of the trees back up the hill. But she wanted to find Amy, so she didn't turn back. She would get a drink at the lake when she was done with the other cat.

The scent was very strong now, and it was like murder on her nose, but she wanted help to find her Twoleg, so she tried to ignore it.

Suddenly she felt eyes on her pelt, like shards of ice piercing her neck and going in deeper and deeper. Sunny stopped walking, aware of danger surrounding her. She whipped around, but saw nothing but grassy fields. Suddenly frightened, she froze in place, waiting in terror for the enemy to jump out of her, but what came was a challenging growl.

"What brings you out here?"

Sunny spun around, paw twisting. Agony shot up her leg as a large yellowish-white she-cat revealed herself. Her pelt was matted and unkept, her eyes like abysses of venom, swirling, churning oceans of fury. Her claws glinted ivory in the sunlight, reflecting small dots of crimson.

Sunny just stared. A living wild-born cat standing right in front of her.

"Did you not hear me?"

Sunny flinched at the anger in her words. "Uh...no...I-I did...I just," she stammered. "I, uh, I'm looking for my...um...Twoleg."

The she-cat's eyes lit up in disbelief. "A kittypet on my territory? Never!" She buched her muscles, as if ready to lunge. "No kittypet shall taint my Clan with its weak heart and pathetic life-style."

"Pathetic?" Sunny asked, hurt.

"Yes," she sneered. "Kittypets are weak cats that rely on foolish Twolegs to feed them and pet them." She spat at the ground. "They have no skills, no worth hidden within them, and if I were to let the stench of a lost _kittypet_ walk on my moors, I am no better than a fox! Leave WindClan territory right now, or you'll wish you were never kitted!"

Sunny winced at the poisen in her words. "I was just wondering if you saw my Twoleg, Amy any where around. I don't mean to cause your...Clan trouble."

"You named it?" The yellow she-cat burst out, laughing hysterically. "That's more pitiful than a mouse with a twisted leg. You're hopeless, cat, just hopeless. I didn't come out here today to spend my time talking with a deranged kittypet. So mark my words, if you don't leave in the next three seconds, I swear, I will personally, break all of your legs, bite you in the neck and toss your weak little body in the lake!"

Sunny was trembling against the ground, grass irritably scratching at her flank.

"One..." the she-cat hissed.

Sunny backed away.

"...Two..."

She put her weight down on her sprained paw and yelped.

"...Three!"

The she-cat launched herself at Sunny, claws outstretched. She screeched at fright and leapt just out of reach of the attacker. Wailing, she turned and fled through the grasses, wincing every time she placed her injured paw on the ground. She heard the frustrated hiss of she she-cat behind her, as she dove into the undergrowth.

She made an effort trying to slow her breathing and conceal her scent in the bracken. For what felt like hours, she waited, worried that the she-cat would spring at her again.

When dusk came, she knew she wasn't going to be found, so she layed down on the soft ground and inspected her paw. It was throbbing, and her pink pad was scratched and smothered with dried blood. Wincing at the sight, she put her law down and closed her eyes, wishing that it was all just a bad dream.

**I know it probably wasn't my best chapter, but I still want you to review any way! **


	3. Chapter 2

**I know I haven't gotten a lot of reviews, but I still hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Silver Sakura-hime: Thank you for all of your reviews to me during my stories. It feels great to have someone who is a dedicated reader.**

Sunny opened her eyes to see blinding golden light seeping through the branches of the trees. Her paw ached and her head throbbed. Eyes still heavy with sleep, she rose to her delicate white paws, parting her jaws into an enormous yawn.

_Maybe I will find Amy today,_ she said.

But somewhere deep within her heart, she knew that her optimism wasn't always going to solve the problem.

The forest was dense and green, the morning sunlight hit the leaves and refracted bright green spots to the forest's brown floor. Even in the early morning, the air was moist and warm with heavy humidity. She gazed around, clueless on where to begin her journey back home. She knew she couldn't go the way she came, her fear of meeting the yellow she-cat again was screaming in defiance. And if she were to go around the lake the long way, it could take several days with no food, for her hunting skills were of none.

_Maybe I should wait for Amy to come to me,_ she thought.

Sunny sat and waited as nothing happened. Not a sound was made through the trees, not even a breeze rushed through the air to ruffle her fur. As the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, Sunny's hope of being found started weather down to a diminutive bone her body.

Suddenly, she heard loud paw steps thump against the thick undergrowth. Horrified that it was the yellow she-cat, Sunny froze, waiting for the creature to show itself.

Her fur rose on end when she saw a group of four or five cats, padding up to the border, heads held high as twind rips wind billowed their fur and left it to look as if it was almost swimming through the air. She watched in wonder as they walked- no- paraded closer and closer to the stream as the waters flickered in the late morning sun.

The head of the group, a black tom with golden spots, stood magnificantly tall as he stopped at the stream. His eyes flickered from one side to the other. Sunny ducked lower, afraid that she would be seen. These cats, one of them could take her out with a single blow to the head. If she were to give herself up, her life would be in jeopardy.

The black tom stared blankly straight ahead. His voice boomed like one of a legended hero, perhaps an ancient lion, "Are there any signs of WindClan?"

_WindClan,_ remembered Sunny. The yellow cat had told her yesterday, to leave WindClan territory. _WindClan, _she thought again, _That yellow she-cat must've been a member of WindClan. But if she was WindClan, than what Clan is this?_

A cat from the group lifted his nose into the air and took a deep breath in. "I don't believe so Blackfire. It appears that both WindClan and ShadowClan have been keeping out of our territory lately."

"As they should," hissed a she-cat. "ThunderClan will never be beaten by any other Clan. Have you noticed that in the past few Gatherings, there have been very few warriors? The most I've seen among the island had to be four, maybe five tops."

_ShadowClan,_ Sunny thought, running the name through her head a few times._ So there are three Clans in the forest?_

Blackfire nodded. "They are going through difficult times," he murmured, still facing the moor.

Another cat from the group, smaller than the rest, spoke loudly and excitedly. "Do you think Cherrystar will lead an attack on them? If there are so few than maybe we can defeat them and take their territory."

"Oh, please, who would ever want a piece of land as dark and foul smelling as their territory?" Snorted Blackfire. "Besides young apprentice, if we were to eliminate them, StarClan will be angry with us, and indeed punish us of our glorious lives this greenleaf."

The small tom shrugged. "Still..."

"Silence!" the last cat shouted, causing the small tom to flinch. "Do you smell what I do?"

Blackfire whipped around, nose twitching. "Why, yes I do." His gaze flicked vigorously to the bush Sunny hid in. Pulling his lips back into a snarl, and head hanging low, he took a paw step closer. "Show yourself, intruder! You have entered ThunderClan territory!"

Sunny gulped and took a step back. A twig snapped beneath her paw, and her eyes widened in fear.

Blackfire smiled coldly. "We know you are there. You can try to escape, but be warned, their are five trained warriors, surrounding you. Leave now and never return, or we will be forced to drive you out ourselves."

A tom tasted the air and let out a laugh. "Blackfire, guess what. It's a kittypet! Smell that lack of wilderness, that gag triggering, bittersweet stench of the Twolegs. This cat certainly has no chance of getting out of here alive."

"No, I'm not a kittypet!" Sunny blurted before she could stop herself, she slapped her tail over her mouth as Blackfire's smile vanished and an angry grimace crossed over his lips.

"Then who might you be, you intruder?" he snarled.

"I'm a ShadowClan cat!" she shouted.

Blackfire seemed astonished. His jaw dropped and his eyes flooded with a terrible madness. Sunny knew she had just made a horrible mistake. "A ShadowClan cat? On my territory! What are you, planning an attack? Stealing prey? You will not succeed!" Yowling, he lunged for the bush.

Sunny yelped and backed away, thorns tearing at her fur. She felt hot blood trickle down her flank as she leaped out of the bush, screeching when she landed on her paw. Blackfire and his patrol began running at her, claws unsheathed and ready to sink into her fur. She ignored the agony that shot up her foreleg as she ran away, once again not knowing where she was going, just knowing she had to go.

The cats of ThunderClan were far behind her, strange if they knew the way around the territory, being able to elude the thick forest and undergrowth, also including her injured paw.

Blackfire's voice rang from a tree length away, "You'll never escape us, you pathetic ShadowClan invader!"

Sunny slowed as her breathing became more and more ragged, and sharp, pain seared in her lungs and her legs ached for rest. She wished she could just vanish and reappear in the lake nest, then everything will be back to normal. The ThunderClan cats were gaining quickly, the small apprentice in the lead, the older ones farther back, struggling to keep pace. In the midst of it all, she heard one of them yell, "Get her my apprentice! We aren't WindClan warriors, but I know you can outrun a puny little ShadowClan apprentice, mouse-brain of a thing!" its words came in gasps, as breathing became more and more difficult.

Sunny's tongue was dry and her throat burned. Just as swe was ready to give up and stop running, something crashed into her, sending her reeling for fox lengths at a time. The young tom was on top of her as she landed on a gravel path. Sharp rocks tore through her fur and made cuts across her back, yowling in pain, Sunny struggled beneath the young tom's weight, thrashing her paws at him, spitting in fury. With her hind paws she kicked as hard as she could, pushing her self along the path until she found soft grass. The tom hissed in anger and took several blows to her muzzle, silencing her. Sunny gave up trying to escape and lay still on the ground, panting hard.

The tom smiled as his comrads caught up. Blackfire was the first to reach them, eyes blazing in fury. "You," he gasped, sides heaving, "You ShadowClan cat, you will be brought to our camp, and you will stay there until one of your weak warriors comes to get you. I'd say your mentor needs to take a better care in teaching you respect."

"But I'm not a ShadowClan warrior!" Sunny shouted.

Blackfire leaned down to meet her terrified gaze. "Don't try to fool ams any longer you flea-bag. We call you a kittypet, you say you are part of ShadowClan. And now you're denying it, trying to say that perhaps you really are a kittypet and just were to stupid to remember? You have a ShadowClan scent, extremely faint, if I was any older, I swear, I wouldn't know."

_I have a ShadowClan scent?_ Sunny asked herself. _But that's impossible. I was never part of any Clan._

"You can let her up," Blackfire said to the young tom apprentice. "It's time we take this pest to Cherrystar."

The tom nodded obediently and took his paws off of Sunny. Blackfire reached down and lifted her to her laws by the scruff.

"Let the kit go," hissed a voice.

Blackfire looked passed Sunny, teeth bared. "Excuse me?"

Sunny looked over her shoulder. Two cats were standing a tail length behind her. One was a ginger tom with blue eyes, narrowed to slits, the other was a sturdy brown and white tabby with strikingly amber eyes. He stood tall and powerful against the land of dark pine trees and darkness behind him.

"Let her go," he commanded gruffly.

"She was passing on our territory," Blackfire protested, fur raised in alarm. "If you want your apprentice back, you're going to have to earn her."

"Earn her? Blackfire, what is she a mouse?" The brown and white tom growled. "Besides, she is not an apprentice of our Clan, nor is she a kit or warrior. But she does not deserve to be treated the way you are. Put her down, and beat it."

Blackfire dropped Sunny, she landed with a thud and winced in pain. He slithered up to face the tom with suspicious eyes narrowed. "Since when did ShadowClan, of all of them grow so soft?" he asked. "Pouncefoot, you and your Clan are weak fools. If this cat isn't of your Clan," he flicked his tail at Sunny. "Then you must want her to make your numbers larger. How many warriors do you have?"

"Four," Pouncefoot said proudly, without hesitation. "Six counting me and Smokestar. And at least I have the guts to say it out loud to your face. The kit is ours anyway, no matter what happened between you and her. She is on our territory. And for that matter, so are you, and the rest of your patrol."

Blackfire whipped around and stared blankly at the gravel path. Snarling he looked back at Pouncefoot. "You crow food eating fox-hearts! You dare not put claim on this pitiful _kittypet, loner_ whatever she is, to my face after I had chased from the WindClan border all the way here! If you wish to take someone as lame and weak as her, ha, I'd like to see how that works out for you! You ShadowClan cats don't know that you have lost hope when your numbers fell to four warriors! Us ThinderClan, however, could train her to be the best warrior there is to be! If you want her you're going to have to fight for her!" His claws unsheathed onto the dirt.

The ginger tom snaked in front of him. "You nasty ThunderClan vermin! You want a fight, you got one!"

"Furledwhisker," Pouncefoot warned, almost too calmly. The tom backed away, eyes still locked upon Blackfire's ready position. "Look, I know you are determined to keep your pride, but a battle won't solve anything. Go now."

Blackfire looked back and forth at Pouncefoot and Sunny. Everytime his troubling gaze fell upon her, she felt an agonizing pain in her heart, like it was stabbed with a thorn. At last, he took a step back, and turned leading his group back into ThunderClan territory.

Sunny shivered from where she lay, feeling cold air, even though it was hot, even in the shade. Her breathing was still quick and uneven, as she watched Pouncefoot and Furledwhisker step closer to her.

**Thank you! I know this chapter isn't very long but it took me forever to write. Just for a warning, updates might come slowly for this story, slower than Bright Horror. Oh, and if you haven't read that story, read it before you continue on. Thank you and review.**


	4. Chapter 3

**I'm back! I have noticed this story hasn't gotten a lot of reviews (except from Silver Sakura-hime) And I'd just like to say, please review! This is chapter 3 hope you like it.**

Pouncefoot and Furledwhisker eyed Sunny suspiciously as she lied on the ground, fearing for what may happen next. Would they chase her too? Is that why they wanted her alone? Her mind was buzzing with questions that she was much too timorous to ask.

"Where do you come from, young stranger?" Pouncefoot asked suspiciously. When Sunny did not reply, he gently took her scruff, lifted her to her paws and let her lean on his shoulder. Furledwhisker bristled.

"Are you insane, Pouncefoot?" he demanded. "What will Smokestar say when he sees that we brought a...some sort of loner cat into the camp? We are already weak enough, we don't need another mouth to feed!"

"Hush, young warrior," Pouncefoot said. Furledwhisker spat. "This kit is hurt. We should take her to the camp and try to heal her. Perhaps then, Smokestar will come to a decision on what to do with her."

"Heal her?" demanded Furledwhisker hissed. "We have no medicine cat since Honeyfrost died, and StarClan has given no sign on who to take her place. It's been six moons for crying out loud!"

"Maybe one of Scarletfur's kits would like to be trained the art of medicine."

Furledwhisker scoffed disbelievingly. "Yes, and it will be trained out of thin air. Are you going mad, Pouncefoot? Can't say I'm surprised when your mate decided to fall out of a tree like a frog-brained squirrel."

Pouncefoot looked at him and stopped walking. Sunny saw a very hurt expression cross his face and a somber darkness fell over the light in his amber eyes, making them look like those of a grief-stricken elder.

Furledwhisker's mouth dropped open when he realized what he had just said. "Oh dear, StarClan, I am so sorry Pouncefoot, I didn't mean it like that."

The brown and white tom grunted and walked passed him, Sunny leaning on him. She looked up several times to gaze at the tom's face. A once proud and wise cat now looked twice as old and much thinner than he was when Sunny first saw him.

She had so many questions to ask him. Like, why was he taking her to his camp when he didn't know she could really be trusted? What was a medicine cat? What happened to Pouncefoot's mate? Why were all of their names so very...strange? What was StarClan? Sunny was too much in shock to speak though as Pouncefoot guided her through the darkness of the pine.

"Where do you come from?" Pouncefoot asked suddenly. Sunny flinched at his sudden bitter tone.

"Um..." she replied. "The uh...Twoleg nest across the lake?" she said it as if it was a question, fearful of what the powerful tom next to her would do when he found out she was a kittypet. Would he chase her away? Attack her like the yellow she-cat and the small tom did?

Pouncefoot froze in his tracks and gazed down at Sunny. She stumbled forward, wincing as her injured paw hit the ground forcefully trying to keep balence. Whipping around, bared her teeth. "What are you going to do? Try to kill me? Hold me prisoner in your camp like Blackfire was going to do? Where am I? All I want is to go home!"

The brown and white tom stared directly into her eyes, amber burning strong and spreading to Sunny, making her pelt heat up. She looked away when she saw a tear shine across his eyes. "Who are you?" she whispered.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me," Pouncefoot murmured. His voice was awe-struck and distant. Sunny blinked at him thoughtfully.

Furledwhisker caught up to the, bursting through the brambles. "What's going on here?" he growled.

"This cat is a kittypet," hissed Pouncefoot to him, softness vanishing from his gaze. A hard expression glazed his eyes over as he spoke. "What do you think we should do with her?"

Furledwhisker arched his back and hissed at Sunny. She squinted and leapt slightly forward, startling him. "_Tsk tsk, _must I be treated poorly for the third time in just one and a half days? Perhaps you don't know what I have gone through before making it here. I lost my owner, I was chased on a sprained paw and I was attacked by a 'ThunderClan' cat. I never asked to come out here and be a nuisense to your well-being, or an alarm to your precious prey that you are to hunt it. Get me back across the lake and I will never leave the nest for as long as I may live here."

Furledwhisker tilted his head in amusement "Well, ha ha, this is a feisty one if I do say so my self!" He swept his tail across the air seemingly to taunt Sunny. Annoyed, she launched herself at it. Sinking her claws into the ginger and pulling him backwards a little. Yowling, he spun around. "You little pest! Don't you know that you shouldn't pull a warrior's tail?" He crouched, ready to jump, but Pouncefoot layed his tail out in front of him, stopping him from moving."

"We do not hurt kits," he said softly. Looking at Sunny he said, "Okay, we will take you to camp for you to recover, and in the morning tomorrow we will try to get you back to your nest. We might have to find a way to sneak passed WindClan territory though."

"At last, someone who will help me." muttered Sunny under her breath. Pausing for a long time, she looked back up at the two older cats. Pouncefoot curiously staring at her, Furledwhisker scowling. "Who are you guys? What are warriors? What are Clans?"

Pouncefoot walked over to her and had her lean on his shoulder again, as he began walking again he replied, "I am not entirely sure you will need to know that or should, if you are not going to stay. But I will ask our leader, besides, what is a mere kit going to do to destroy us-" he suddenly sucked in his breath and gazed off into the distance. His eyes clouded like he was trying to remember something. There was something else too though, something that Sunny couldn't quite make out though.

* * *

Pouncefoot, Furledwhisker and Sunny all emerged into a shaded clearing by the time night began to fall. A freshly stocked pile of prey towered over her, making her mouth water. When was the last time she had eaten? But when she noticed a frog or two stocked between some mice, her stomach flipped over and she felt ill.

An enormous oak tree stood out against the mass of dark pine trees. Rough bark circled around, dotted with claw marks. It was so tall, she could barely see the top. When Pouncefoot followed her gaze, he flinched.

_"Can't say I'm surprised when your mate decided to fall out of a tree like a frog-brained squirrel,"_ Furledwhisker had said.

A dark gray tom with piercing gray eyes stood on a low branch of the oak, looking over the clearing. As soon as he spotted Sunny he blinked in surprise and hopped from the branch. He ran up to them, looking at Pouncefoot. He didn't sound angry. "Who is this Pouncefoot? Is she why you took so long?"

He nodded. "This young she-cat is a kittypet from across the lake." The gray tom stiffened when he said kittypet. "We found her at the ThunderClan border, being pinned by an apprentice. They were going to hold her hostage. They even thought she was one of us."

The gray tom frowned. "Pouncefoot, you are probably the best deputy a leader can ask for but a kittypet? Really?"

Pouncefoot held his ground, not even twitching at the dark cat's striking glare. "Look at her, Smokestar, barely old enough to be apprenticed. You know what the warrior code says, we can not allow a kit to be harmed on ignored, even if that kit is from another Clan or even a Twoleg nest. We should at least try to heal her wounds before they become infected. I am sure there is someone around here who knows I thing or two about treating cuts."

Smokestar sighed. "Since we lost Honeyfrost, times have been tough. Yes okay, but just until she recovers."

Pouncefoot nodded. "Come," he said.

Sunny followed him to a sweet smelling den. Leaves and berries were sprawled out across the ground. Sunny had to watch her step as she stumbled towards a nest. Collapsing she raised her head to look at Pouncefoot. He was sitting and observing the leaves and berries. "Oh, how I wish I knew to identify these herbs. All of the leaves here look the same to me."

"Maybe you should chew some of it and aply it to my wounds," Sunny suggested.

"Yeah," murmured Pouncefoot. "But I don't know which leaves. All of these herbs here have different uses. I know poppy seeds help with shock and cobwebs stop bleeding. But neither of those will help with stopping infection. Oh my, how did we ever survive without a medicine cat?"

A cat came in through the den and greeted Pouncefoot. Her white pelt was very well groomed for a wild-born cat. "Hello Pouncefoot, hello kit. I think I can help you out. When I was an apprentice and I was attacked by that dog, Honeyfrost helped me a lot and taught me a few things."

"Thank you, Cloudwind," Pouncefoot said as he stepped back to let the cat do her work.

Cloudwind looked over the leaves for a few minutes then said to Pouncefoot. "Why don't you get this young cat a mouse from the fresh kill pile? I'm sure she's hungry."

He nodded and disappeared outside.

She scooped up a large leaf and dropped it at Sunny's paws. "That's comfrey," she mewed. "It should help with your sprain."

Sunny sniffed it then took it in her teeth. It tasted really bitter but she forced it down, panting.

Cloudwind then chewed up a yellow plant called "goldenrod" and applied it to all of the places where Sunny said her wounds were stinging. It burned for a second then began to soothe her cuts. When it dried, Cloudwind finally used some oak leaves to prevent infection. By the time she was done, Pouncefoot had come back with a mouse in his jaws.

"There you go Breeze-" he stopped himself suddenly and coughed. "I'm sorry, I never actually got your name."

Sunny blinked up at him. After a long silence she opened her mouth and breathed. "My name is Sunny."


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Keep reading!**

Sunny lay wide awake curled her nest in the medicine cat den. She still had no idea what was going on or where she was. Cloudwind? Pouncefoot? Honeyfrost? Why were all of these names so strange? She wanted to know what the Clans were exactly, but she also wanted to close her eyes that night and wake up in the morning, peacefully laying on Amy's legs.

The strong scent of herbs touched her nose and made Sunny sneezed. Her wounds were already feeling better, but her sprained paw ached with a dull agony that spread throughout her whole leg.

A quiet filled the den so silent, that Sunny could hear her own heart beat. The soft thumping caused her calm down and fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

Something was wrong, within her slumber, Sunny would endure a time in soft blackness, restoring her lost energy from the day earlier. Most nights dreams would come upon her, matching her wishes and hopes. But this time, she felt no different than if she were to be awake. She tried opening her eyes, but she was frozen into place. Her limbs would not budge, like they were enclosed in ice.

Suddenly two eyes appeared in front of her, pools of amber flipping on like a Twoleg light bulb, she believed they were called. It was the only light that was shed among the sea of supreme darkness. The eyes were slitted, tiny openings into the auburn moons. A voice, as one, came from each direction, prodding Sunny with invisible claws.

"Wake, Blazing Sun, wake..."

Sunny was tossed into a whirlpool of nothingness. She tumbled through the darkness, something sharp, tearing at her fur. In an effort to stop herself, she wasted her energy and allowed herself to fall.

* * *

A white light broke through a wall of black, shattering the pieces across the ground. As the doors opened, Sunny watched as a forest appeared beyond her. A limitless starlit sky, dappled with spots of light was raised high over Sunny's head. Lush grass, soft like cotton stood tall and straight, boring magnificent oaks and pines with leaves as green as field of clovers.

"Welcome Blazing Sun."

Sunny whipped around to see a beautiful tabby she-cat behind her. Standing tall and proud, the cat was unlike any cat she had ever seen before. With fur, that was not brown, but not any color Sunny could know, it was zig-zagged with darker stripes. Shining golden fur shaded her chest, and paws, and on her chest, spots like those of a leopard dappled with a luscious black hue. And on top of it all, stars brighter than what would be of a clear, green-leaf night sky clung to her fur, brightening her whole figure.

Sunny was speechless. She could dipped her head, but thought that for a cat as majestic as the tabby before her, she should bow. Lowering herself to the ground, Sunny did just that.

The tabby let out a purr of amusement. But her voice was rather firm, sovereign. "No, young one, you do not need to do that here. In the ranks of the stars, all cats are of equals, even one as you are, a kittypet.

Sunny flinched as she rose to her paws. "How do you know I am a kittypet?" she asked skeptically.

The she-cat smiled. Believe me, it was not easy to bring you here, considering you have not yet heard of the four warrior Clans formally. I will teach you everything young one, and then there is someone I would like you to meet."

Sunny narrowed her eyes, but at last nodded and pricked her ears.

The she-cat cleared her throat and her voice rang out, "Before will teach you any thing, you have the right to know, I am Tigerspirit and this is StarClan. Now listen closely, I am going to tell you a tale, a story that goes back farther than any one would really remember, even Twolegs and Ancient cats. Long ago, in a forest far from here, there were cats, that came to the forest seeking territory and prey for themselves and their families, but alas, they were bound by no laws, no code to keep them safe, and with that, through out the seasons, many cats suffered and died.

"One day, in a clearing surrounded by four great oak trees, there was a battle, teeth against claws, many died and the survivors, dare not go anywhere, at risk of making their injuries worse. That night, the cats that died in the battle came down from the stars, pleading for the cats to stop the fighting at once. 'Unite or die' they said. And thus, rose four leaders. Shadow, Wind, River and Thunder. They gathered cats together, and the four warrior Clans were born.

"Throughout the seasons, laws were layed down to ensure the safe and necessary life style for one another. But when Twolegs came and destroyed the forest, the Clans were forced to move to a new place as they were guided by their ancestors, their ancestors known as StarClan.

StarClan is made up of the many cats that have lived in the Clans. When the cats died, they would most likely come here, unless they were sinners, then they went to a place of darkness and misery, where they would suffer for their deeds for eternity, but enough on that, StarClan sends signs of warning to the Clans, especially when great danger befalls them, a cat is chosen to save them. That cat has a great destiny. There was Leafpool, a medicine cat that went beyond the code to follow her heart, Bramblestar, who proved his loyalty beyond any test. Jayfeather, Lionblaze and Dovewing who saved the Clans from perish against the evil cats of the Dark Forest. But perhaps the greatest of them all, was Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, who many times beat incredible odds to save his Clan. He killed the leader of a rogue group that threatened to rule the forest, he rebuilt a fifth ancient Clan, he helped lead the Clans to their new home here at the lake and he defeated the warrior Clans greatest foe, Tigerstar. And the best thing about was, he was a kittypet."

Sunny widened her eyes. A cat of amazing destiny, just a mere kittypet like her?

Tigerspirit smiled warmly. "A little legend for you to think about at night, but back to the basics. There are four warrior Clans; ThunderClan is known for their bravery, perhaps not the most loyal cats there could have been, those warriors, always willing to take up any challenge, determined and fierce they are. WindClan is the loyal Clan, easily offended, yes, but for all the right reasons. When it comes to protecting their honor, they are quick to argue for what they feel is right. It is easy to call them weak, and they are a quick rival, but when you come to StarClan, you'll understand. There is also RiverClan. Have you ever heard of cats that know to swim? There abilities to do what most turn down makes them a clever bunch. Be careful when you're fighting with one.

"And at last, ShadowClan. My time in the Clans was short, I barely knew of the other Clans, or what they ever thought of us, but now that I am here, I know the truth. We were seen as the cats that could never trust anyone else except those in our own Clan. Our founder, actually wasn't to keen on her own Clanmates as it turns out, but when you really get to know them, these cats will do anything to protect others and protect themselves. When they have their heart set to something, there is nothing you can do to change their minds. I was a loner when I first came to the forest, it may surprise you, but I wasn't Clan-born. When I joined though, they welcomed me and now I know all I ever could. I regret nothing.

The Clans are bound by a set of laws known as the warrior code. It's all pretty simple stuff, like to stay loyal to your Clan, feed the Queens and kits first, but you'd be surprised how many cats betray the code for their own selfish thoughts..." her voice trailed off and her amber gaze grew distant.

"Though the Clans were created to give the cats of the forest safer lives, it wasn't always perfect and a t peace. There are battles every generation, battles over territory, accusations, prey, honor, you name it. However there is a time when the four Clans are to gather in peace. Every full moon, they head to the island in the lake, and share the news of the Clans and share tongues. If they are to break the truce, punishment will befall them, as it will if there is any other time a warrior breaks the code.

"There are many ranks in the Clans. Kits are cats who are younger than six moons of age. Apprentices are warriors or medicine cats in training. Warriors are the cats that defend their Clans, as they are expected to stay loyal. Deputies are the cats second in command, they organize the patrols for hunting and checking the border. Medicine cats are the healers of the Clans, and the cats that interpret omens and prophecies from us. And leaders, lead the Clan. They have nine lives given to them from their ancestors, and are significantly hailed as wondrous by their Clan."

Tigerspirit finished speaking and waited for Sunny to reply to everything.

Sunny could only blink. There was so much that happened in Clan life. So much that the questions she had for Pouncefoot seemed small and subordinate.

"My, Tigerspirit. I don't know what to say. Clan life seems complex and difficult. How cats possibly live without the comfort of a Twoleg nest during leaf-bare, or live through starving times when there is less prey?"

Tigerspirit chuckled. "It is not simple, Blazing Sun, but cats are willing to put up with it if it means living the way they do."

"Yeah, about that. Why do you keep calling me Blazing Sun? My name is Sunny."

The tabby she-cat's voice grew grim as she leaned over to Sunny's ear. "That is why I brought you here, young one. Things are falling apart in the Clans and you are the one who can turn it around."

Sunny backed away. "Me? No, no. I can't. I have a life back home with my Twoleg, they I cannot abandon. Besides," her voice grew bitter. "Why should I care about these cats anyway? I'm going home, and there is no one who can stop me."

"No one?" a voice rasped.

Sunny whirled around. A black and white she-cat stood just mouse lengths from her. Green eyes glowed through Sunny's and reached her soul. She felt like claws had just squeezed her heart and dropped it to her paws. The she-cat gazed emptily at her.

"No one?" she repeated. "But what is the cat you were saving was your own mother?"

**OMZ! What did you think? Please review and tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi! Keep reading and reviewing! Thanks to Silver Sukura-hime for supporting me through all my writing. You get a cookie! And so does Talon of Soaring Eagle! Thank you!**

"Blazing Sun," Tigerspirit murmured, "I would like you to meet your mother, Radiantmask."

Sunny gazed in shock at the black and white she-cat standing in front of her. Her eyes were narrowed, but a distinguished warmth and love illuminated in green fire.

_My mother...my mother was a_ warrior?

Sunny opened her mouth to speak but abruptly cut off when images of a raging storm battered her fiercely. She saw claws coming to claws as the black and white she-cat chased a night black tom up a tree, the enormous oak in the ShadowClan camp. She attacked the tom, teeth sinking into his neck and fell from the tree, to her death.

_"Can't say I'm surprised when your mate decided to fall from a tree like a frog-brained squirrel."_

If Radiantmask was her mother, Pouncefoot was her father, and she is wild-born Clan cat.

Sunny blinked as the images died away, leaving her with fur raised in surprise. Radiantmask had not moved, she had not even changed her expression. She was waiting for Sunny to respond to the news.

"No," she muttered.

Radiantmask's face fell. "What?"

"No," she hissed. "This isn't true! I am dreaming! You are cats in my dream, I am now curled up peacefully in the nest in the medicine cat den, still lost, still alone." She spun around to face Tigerspirit, teeth gritted. "You idiot, try to convince me that this she-cat is my mother! Have you no sanity?"

Tigerspirit remained calm, so calm it made Sunny annoyed. "Young cat, do you know how you got to your Twolegs?"

Sunny spat. "They rescued me from the forest at their lake...nest..." Her voice trailed off. "In this forest, in the same lake nest, abandoned and alone." She lowered her head in shame. "I was wrong." But suddenly she snapped her head up and looked back at Radiantmask. "You abandoned me," she realized. "You left me to dead! What kind of mother do you think you are, you fox-hearted coward?!"

Radiantmask closed her eyes. "It is true, I did abandon you,,but please listen, I did it for all the right reasons, I never left you alone to die, my precious Breezekit. I left you at the front of the Twoleg nest, and called for them. I was in grave danger. The cat you saw me fight in your vision, he was my brother, Blackstorm. He was once a honorable warrior, but alas, he traded that honor for the ability to be feared. He betrayed the Clan, and set out for revenge. Not just on ShadowClan, but on the other four warrior Clans too. If you were to stay in the Clan, you were sure to be killed. I am sorry, seeing you now, wishing to go home, I regret taking you to those Twolegs. Please Blazing Sun, believe me, for what I say is true."

Sunny scowled. "I still don't know if I should take this seriously," she said. "I am asleep, this could be just a delusional dream. On the other paw, if it is not, there is no way I could know if you are speaking the truth."

"Ask Pouncefoot," Radiantmask rasped. "Ask any one, they will say the same thing I am. This is no dream, my daughter, this is real. Though you may be sleeping, this is no time to waste. We usually come too the dreams of a medicine cat or leader, but you should know of your destiny."

"Destiny?" Sunny asked. "I am still trying to process the fact that you are my mother. And that I was once a Clan cat."

"Hush, kit!" Hissed Tigerspirit. "We have no time to wait!" She padded beside Radiantmask. "Tell us, what is different between me and her?"

Sunny blinked, hesitating, but when she realized that Tigerspirit was serious she nodded and sat down to compare the two she-cats.

She gasped in astonishment. Tigerspirit's fur was dazzled with tiny, stars, dappling her flank. In her eyes, there was a dancing flame, moving fiercely to the beat of Sunny's heart. But Radiantmask, was different. Her pelt looked like one of an elder, matted and clumped, very unkept. Her green eyes were dull, like she was grieving terribly for a lost loved one. Scars corssed her fur and her legs trembled at having to hold her weight up. Sunny knew that in StarClan, Radiantmask should not be like this.

Tigerspirit saw the surprise on Sunny's face and nodded. "This is not how it is supposed to be. In StarClan, when a cat dies, their strength is restored and they are healthy and strong again. But Radiantmask is not like this, no, she is just as she was at her death."

"What is happening?" Sunny asked.

Radiantmask swallowed. "The darkness is rising, Blazing Sun. When I died, I killed their leader, my brother. But they have a new leader now and are gaining strength with the passing day. They are set out to destroy me, for I maimed them terribly. And seek revenge once more on the cats of ShadowClan. They will try to reach out to the cats I love most first, and when we are weak enough, they give their final strike. I am powerless now, for my life has ended. You have come at a dangerous time, Sunny but you can not leave. StarClan has chosen you as their savior."

Sunny sighed. "But I want to go home! This isn't where I belong. Perhaps I was born as a Clan cat but I lived as a kittypet, and I will take pride. I am not like Firestar all of those moons ago. I am sorry, but you are out of luck."

Tigerspirit stepped closer to her. "You are saving your mother, Blazing Sun, the very cat that gave birth to you. Isn't that enough to change your mind?"

Sunny shook her head. "She never acted like a mother to me. Perhaps you should have chosen a Clan born cat to do your work for you. And if you see Blackstorm anywhere, tell him I said thank you for giving me the life I have now."

Radiantmask gaped. Tears brimmed at her lifeless eyes. "Please, my daughter, don't go. The Clans have ruled the forest for ages, if their reign were to come to an end than, the balence of the world will be thrown off."

Sunny scoffed. "Wow. You're going way off your rockers using that excuse."

Tigerspirit spoke next. "What will it take to change your mind?"

"Nothing," Sunny replied, turning around. "I am sorry, but I am going home to Amy."

"Wait!" Tigerspirit said. "You know we have been watching you, that is why we chose you to save the Clans. And with that, we have been watching your Twolegs and Amy, she doesn't really love you!"

Sunny turned back to them. "What?"

"She said, um, she left a couple days ago because she knew you would come looking for her and uh-"

"You will get to hunt!" Radiantmask shouted, cutting her off. "You can see now that we are going up to the moon trying to get you to understand. Sunny, we need you. And the only way to convince you is to speak the truth. Have you ever dreamt of being able to feel the wind in your fur as you chase after a fresh, plump mouse? Have you ever wanted to feel your teeth sink into the juicy meat? Don't you want to respected instead of slouching on a cushion somewhere while you are treated like a play thing by your Twoleg? Sure they scratch you behind your ears, sure they speak cooing words to you, but is that really better than being able to rule the wild?"

Sunny took a breath in, ready to argue, but nothing came out. She did want to be respected. She did want to hunt. She did want to feel the cool wind in her fur as she ran through the grass. She has always dreamed of it.

"We need you Blazing Sun," Tigerspirit said. "And you need us. What do you say?"

Sunny was silent. She didn't know what to say. If she stayed, Amy would miss her and her life would change forever. Everything would be too unpredictable and there would be no telling what would happen. Badgers and foxes could kill her!

On the other paw, if she went home to Amy, the Clans would be destroyed. The mother and father he never knew would perish without seeing their daughter again. She would always be treated like a pet instead of a cat. She ran theories through her head, trying to determine the right decision.

But then it hit her, like a rock launching through the air and hitting her in the chest. A sudden craving for the taste of blood on her tongue, the need for flesh to sink her claws into, the chance to look out onto the lake late at night and watch the light of moon and stars dance on the water as it rippled and lapped delicately at her paws. It all came to her as if they were memories. Like she was watching her life flash by. It was all things she would never get to experience as a warrior. As a _Clan cat._

"You need me," Sunny said, barely audible. "To think that I was thinking to go home and miss out on my life, the life I was supposed to have but never lived. I was going to go back and be alive, but not live. I am young, and not wise, I don't know if this is the right choice, busy freezing in the cold of leaf bare instead of curled up peacefully by the fire. Okay, I will join you, if Pouncefoot and I can convince your leader."

Tigerspirit and Radiantmask lit up when she spoke. "Excellent, Blazing Sun. You-"

She was cut off when a violent cough shook the starry forest. Radiantmask was bent over the grass, legs shaking as she struggled to keep herself up. She gasped as if there was no air in the wind. Deeply, she coughed again, except this time blood trickled from her lips and dripped onto the grass. Tigerspirit wrapped her tail over fire friend's shoulder.

"You are not well," Sunny observed, worry filling her stomach and clenching it together like teeth.

Radiantmask shook her head. "No, I have said before, I am powerless. I am growing weaker by the day. My daughter, you must save me, and your Clan from the darkness before I fade like an age old memory." Swallowing another cough, she gasped, " Usually signs for a destiny would be sent to a medicine cat or even a leader, like it wwith for the past moons and moons, since the dawn of the Clans, but we have no other choice, we had to convince you to stay somehow. Be warned, this may seem overwhelming, and it is for someone as young and inexperienced as you, but I beg, please understand that you have a destiny that lies here in the forest, not out there in a filthy Twoleg nest."

"She has been getting visions," said Tigerspirit to Sunny. The rest of StarClan have searched for the things she has seen, but can't find it. I know she speaks the truth however, I have been watching over the evil from here, and I can guarantee that the danger you face is real. It is imperitive that you listen closely, StarClan speaks in riddles, for we can see the future just barely better than you. Turning to Radiantmask she murmured gently, "Tell her the prophecy."

Radiantmask nodded and parted her jaws. What came out was a stifled hack. Gulping, she looked Sunny straight into the eyes and said, in a voice as clear as the lake, "_The darkness fell when radiance shone thorugh, but now, as the light dies out, only the blazing sun can destroy the night."_

Sunny widened her eyes at the words, for she had never heard something so amazingly startling, her fur had never risen higher, for the fear she held.

Tigerspirit could see that Sunny was worrying. "Blazing Sun, please do not fret. You will have time to train as a warrior and learn the ways of a Chosen Savior. That is why he lured your Twoleg from her home and into the forest, so we can get you to follow her and into the wild. There is more too. Radinantmask has seen places on your path that have been lit by the fire of your rising soul. Prick your ears, this could help you."

Sunny nodded, fearing the worst and turned back to her mother. Who now was barely able to stand. "I see things, my daughter. Beware a figure of two's past, who will give you a small answer. I see a mistake among your hope of strength. I sense a heart beat of yours flowing through a river, but most clearly, I see a glare of shaded darkness staring at you and into the shadows...the darkneess...the shadows..."

As she finished speaking, her eyes closed and her legs gave way. She hit the ground with a _thump _and she fell limp against the grass.

"Mother...?" Sunny asked, heart beating. "Mother?"

Tigerspirit bent over to inspect the black and white she-cat. "I believe she will be okay. Go Blazing Sun, go to your Clan. Join them, train like them, and throughout we will be watching, waiting for your time to shine."

**So what did you think? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Neutral? Wondering when I'm going to stop asking questions? Okay! Please review as soon as possible! I will update when I can. Thanks!**

**~Destiny**


	7. Chapter 6

**I am back! Review!**

**Also, I wanted to put the full summary in, something that I keep forgetting to do until now. So here you go:**

**_Moons ago, ShadowClan's greatest enemy was killed, and peace was among them once more, but when the Black Horror rises with a new leader, hidden dangers lurk in the darkness, waiting to strike. A hero must chosen quickly, but when all signs point to a young cat beyond their boundaries, the fate of the Clans is unknown._**

**_Sunny was just a mere kittypet, when she left her Twoleg home in search of her owner, but what she found was bigger than anyone could have imagined. Fate led her to her place, and now, motivated by the power of a warrior that lies deep within her, and the fear of losing what she never had, she will shine brighter than any star, any moon, and change the lives of the shadows forever._**

Sunlight streamed into the den when Sunny woke. The ray of golden sparkled brightly and illuminated the entire den, making the leaves and berries shine and shimmer. A water soaked piece of moss was beside the nest and Sunny drank it before rising to her paws. Her paw didn't hurt very much anymore, which was good, considering she might have to run away again when her Clan heard her demanding to stay.

Sunny poked her head out of the den and saw that the camp had very few cats within it, one she recognized as Smokestar, leader of ShadowClan, the others a ginger she-cat and a few kits playing in the warm morning sun that seeped through the branches over hanging the camp.

She heard leaves rustle as branches pushed forward and Pouncefoot emerged from the outside with Cloudwind. A couple of frogs hung limp in his jaws and he placed him on the fresh-kill pile. Sunny flicked her tail back and forth.

_How can I do this?_

Somehow she will have to find I way to convince Pouncefoot that she is his daughter, and on top of that, find a way to get Smokestar to agree to let her stay in the Clan. She would be willing to try anything, if it meant saving her mother and living her dreams.

Pouncefoot spotted her and bounded up to her. "Good morning, Sunny. I hope that you slept well?" he said sitting in front of her.

"I wouldn't say that," chuckled Sunny. "I told you what I dreamed, you wouldn't believe a word."

"Try me," Pouncefoot growled playfully, hovering over her.

Sunny gulped at his enormous size. "I don't know...if you should know...Perhaps it would be for the best...Okay. You have to promise not to tell_ anyone_ not even you leader. This is important, and should be something we should only keep to ourselves. Do you promise?"

Pouncefoot blinked. "I suppose. What is going on?"

Sunny sighed deeply and looked into Pouncefoot's deep amber eyes. "Last night, while I slept, and I know this may sound crazy but...there was a cat that came to me last night, with uh...stars in her fur..." Sunny stopped when she realized how stupid she sounded.

Pouncefoot widened his eyes in surprise. "A StarClan warrior?" He asked.

"Yes," Sunny murmured, astonished that he didn't laugh in disbelief. "Her name was uh, Tigerspirit."

Pouncefoot gaped but then shut his mouth with a click of his teeth. "Tigerspirit? I thought she would not have believed in StarClan, she was not born a warrior."

"But that's not all," Sunny mewed, voice softer with each word. "There was one more cat, her name, she was...her name was...Radiantmask."

The life drained from Pouncefoot's eyes. Not a hair on his pelt moved, he was frozen in place. Sunny waited for a reaction. He suddenly out of nowhere, let out a yowl, loud enough to wake the dead. The few other cats in the camp turned their heads to see what was going on. Pouncefoot paced back and forth in front of Sunny, muttering words she couldn't make out. After minutes he stopped and wailed at the sky, as if expecting it to respond. Over his shoulder, Sunny saw Smokestar take a pawstep forward. She shook her head.

"My love," Pouncefoot hissed, seemingly to himself. He whipped his head to Sunny, making her flinch. A certain, distinguished anger burned like amber flames in his eyes. "So you know?" he asked, growling. "So you now know the truth?"

"I-I suppose...yes, I do!" Sunny replied.

Pouncefoot wailed again. His actions seemed of a different cat, for the tom that stood in front of Sunny now, was not one she recognized could be her father, the cat that had brought her to the camp with open paws. He crouched over the ground, breathing heavily. His eyes slowly drifted up towards the large oak tree.

Snarling, he darted for it, claws sliding out. With a hoarse yowl, he launched himself at the tree, slashing his claws up and down its bark, spitting in fury.

"Death be to you!" He yowled. "Death be to you and all of your branches that failed to hold my mate!" He stopped and cried a sorrow song to the morning sky. Sunny had never could have imagined a cat so driven by grief and loss.

Smokestar looked like he had seen enough, running up to Pouncefoot he said calmly, "Quiet, Pouncefoot. It is okay. Calm yourself, slow your breathing. Perhaps you should go to the warrior den to rest."

Pouncefoot didn't appear to hear him. He ran from the tree, dust flying up from behind his paws, raced out of the camp, still crying like a frightened kit.

"Father wait!" She yowled, leaping from where she sat in front of the medicine cat den. "Let me explain everything! Wait!"

She heard confused whispers from behind her as she left camp, but she took no care. She had to find Pouncefoot.

* * *

Wind whipped through her fur as she sped through the pine trees, following the paw prints in the mud. She would never catch up, but she hoped that she would find him soon, and tell him what she knew.

As Sunny ran, her mind raced with the words of Tigerspirit and Radiantmask. It was so much to learn in just one night. She understood why she was told what she was, but she was jut a kit, learning of a destiny she possesses along with the startling fact that she was not a kittypet at all.

Chest heaving, and sides aching, she skidded to a halt. Sunny struggled to catch her breath. Her heart beat quickly, and every breath of air she took in was like thorns to her lungs. The sunlight, though mostly blocked by the shading branches, still was hot on her fur.

When her ragged breathing returned back to normal. She took easy paw steps, matching hers with Pouncefoot's. They were so big. Chuckling slightly, she moved on.

The lake opened up like a big, blue, smooth field of grass, dappled with the golden spots of morning. Sunny peered through the trees, watching the brown and white shape of fur, splash the water with outstretched paws. He was muttering to himself. Sunny waited for him to calm down.

Pouncefoot slammed his paw at a small rippling wave, spraying lake water all over his pelt. Drenched, he hissed in frustration and whirled around, Sunny flinched at his intensity. His firery amber eyes met hers.

"Breezekit," he said. "That is your name. Before we left you and your brother to new homes, we named you, for a wonderful, long lasting memory to forever hold in our hearts. You were called after Radiantmask's mother, Breezecatcher, the cat that was killed by her own son." He tore his claws into the ground. "That cat be the worst of all luck! That traitor, that _murderer_ split us apart." His gaze softened.

Sunny came out, revealing her whole body to her father. "How exactly did Radiantmask die?" She asked.

"Blackstorm launched an attack on ShadowClan with his blasted gang of rogues," hissed Pouncefoot. "More than half of our Clan was lost that night, and Smokestar lost a life. Right before we surrendered ourselves to him- seeing we had no other choice -your mother, in a fight to save her honor, started the battle up once more. She climbed the oak tree, following Blackstorm, and sank her teeth into him. But..." His voice was choked, "...he threw her off, and she just barely got her claws on a branch. When Blackstorm died, she let go, and fell to her death."

Sunny looked down. She did not know her mother's death was so noble and tragic. Tears threatened to spill over her face, but she held them back as Pouncefoot, voice to a whisper, continued.

"During the time when we didn't know what our future held, when we were lost within our own fear, she was the only one I had. She not only was the one I loved, but she inspired me to love, and losing her was like losing part of my heart." He closed his eyes and turned away. "Do you see now, why I have ran away? My daughter, I am sorry I have scared you, but it was too much to be reminded of my mate's death."

Sunny nodded. "Thank you for telling me that, father. But what do you make of my return?"

He looked back at her, though not meeting her eyes. "Why do you think I made no hesitation to bring you home? Breezekit, now that you are here, the pieces of my shattered soul, are slowly coming together again. The only things that can make it whole, would be to have your brother return, or to see your mother again. Sad that she has not come to visit me." He paused. "Why did she visit you?"

Sunny gulped. "That is actually why I told you about it in the first place, but I'm not sure that telling you of it would be such a good idea now that I think about it."

Pouncefoot nodded. "You are wise, for a kit."

Sunny continued. "Let's just say, the have to convince Smokestar to let me stay. I do feel at home here."

"Because you are home," Pouncefoot purred. "Come, let us go back to camp. Now that I think about, you should be getting your apprentice name right about now."

**A shorter chapter than the last one, but I still hope it touched you in some way! Review please! And tell me which plushie you want!**

**~Destiny**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hi.**

**SwiftStar1: Here is your Pouncefoot plushie! Thank you for your reviews!**

"Smokestar, may we speak with you?"

"Pouncefoot, I see that you are feeling better, yes?"

"Indeed. Again, may we speak with you?"

"Of course."

Pouncefoot and Sunny entered the den beneath the giant oak. As they passed underneath the branches, Pouncefoot tensed, fur raising in alarm.

Smokestar sat his nest. "What did you want to see me for?" he asked, extending his claws.

"Alright," Pouncefoot said. "We will tell you in just a minute, but you must give me your word, that you will not interrupt, and that when you do speak it will be when I allow you too? Do you promise?"

Smokestar cocked his head. "Well...I guess so. Yeah, you have my word."

"Good," Pouncefoot said, sitting and curling his tail over his paws. "As you are aware of, when Blackstorm attacked, over half of our Clan was killed. We don't have enough warriors to go on both border patrols and hunting for everyone. The three kits that we do have have yet moons to come before they are apprenticed, and it is going to arouse suspicion if we continue on like this with little defense, and the other Clans will take advantage. It is imperitive that we get new warriors as soon as possible. That is why I think Sunny here, should train."

Smokestar seemed taken aback by Pouncefoot's words. But soon, his piercing pools of gray storm clouds, narrowed at Sunny. "Are you suggesting that we take in a kittypet?"

"Yes. Blackstorm has ruined us. The only way that we will ever get back on track is if we do this. She is our only option." Sunny flinched at the madness in his voice. "What do you say?"

"Pouncefoot, let me explain something to you. This cat, is not wild-born. She does not have the true will to train, to feel flesh rip beneath her claws, to taste blood on her tongue. What is she really good for besides grooming herself and sleeping?"

"She may not have been living in the forest her whole life, but she is a cat right? She does have the instincts to defend herself, like every loner, rogue kittypet or warrior. Can't those instincts drive her with the passion of a true warrior?"

"What you don't understand is that we cannot take chances here. Letting a kittypet into the Clan could be a huge mistake. What if she doesn't have the ability to train? We will be spending our time teaching her the difference between stalking and ambushing while we could be hunting for the Clan. I will not allow that to happen."

"You aren't getting it, Smokestar. We need to take the chance if we are to survive. Any cat has the ability to be a warriors, it doesn't matter where they come from, just that they are willing to do it. Think about it, one more warrior, is one more step closer to gaining our strength back, and earning our rightful place on top of the other Clans."

"My final answer is no," Smokestar growled. "I will not tell you again."

"I will sit here until I hear what I want," said Pouncefoot, hackles raising. "Let her join! Think of the Clan!"

"No," hissed Smokestar. "Take her back to her nest, Pouncefoot. You are an honorable deputy. I will not have you driven to insanity because of this mere kit. It is time for her to go back to her Twolegs."

"No."

Sunny could barely believe she just said that.

"Excuse me?" Smokestar asked, bewildered.

"You are excused," Sunny hissed. "Why will you not allow me to join the Clan? Who hurt you so bad that you can't trust? You coward, you cold-blooded fox-heart. I hope you-"

She was cut off when Smokestar yowled in anger and leapt from his nest, claws outstretched. Sunny barely had time to flinch before they sank deep into her shoulders. Wailing, she tried to twist free, but his grip was to firm. Pouncefoot lunged and grasped Smokestar's scruff, hauling him away.

"Shame to you, for attacking this helpless kit," Pouncefoot snarled.

"Let me join the Clan!" she screeched, ignoring the hot blood that dripped from her shoulders. "Help me StarClan! Send a sign to this blasted tom!"

"StarClan?" Smokestar asked. "Who told you about StarClan?"

"That does not matter." Pouncefoot scratched at his ear. "Listen to me, Smokestar. I know this sounds preposterous. I know this sounds unfair. But think about your Clan. When danger comes? Four warriors will not be enough to defend ourselves. Time will move slowly, we will have few kits, thus, we will have few warriors. Please understand that I am doing this for the good of the Clan. This cat is going to dedicate her life to us, even though they might not do the same for her."

Smokestar sighed, sides heaving. "StarClan, I must be going insane. Okay, Pouncefoot, I know that in just a few short days, you lost much of what you had, your kits, your mate. I understand that with this kit, a new part of the Clan will be born, and it may seem to be able to soothe your pain of loss. I say this only in spite of you: yes."

* * *

"Let all cats old enough to chase after frogs, join here under the Speaking Branch for a Clan meeting!"

Sunny clawed herself up the trunk of the giant oak tree, getting firm grips on the bark, to make sure she would not fall. When she reached the branch, she pulled herself up, leaving behind, fresh scars in the wood.

She couldn't believe it. She was actually becoming a ShadowClan apprentice. Right there, right then. Her heart beat with such intensity she was sure that everyone in the camp could hear it. Her pelt was hot as she stood beside Smokestar, gazing down onto the few cats that gathered beside the tree. Pouncefoot was in the front, pride rimming his amber eyes.

_Okay, Radiantmask, I hope you are watching too._

Before speaking out to the Clan, Smokestar whispered to Sunny, "Consider yourself lucky, kit." Louder he called. "Cats of ShadowClan, these are difficult times for us. Six moons have passed since the battle with Blackstorm, and yet we still have few warriors. If we are to survive, we need more cats, and I see now that this young kit, Sunny, has the pure will abandon her Twoleg home, and train with us as a warrior, for our survival."

A few murmurs of surprise swept through the cats, but not one protest was sounded.

_Goodbye Amy._

"So I say before StarClan, that this cat, from now until she earns her warrior name, she shall be known as Sunpaw. I find no one better to mentor her than Pouncefoot, for he has shown, agreement in allowing her to stay. I trust that you will mentor this kittypet well."

Sunpaw smiled warmly at her father. He smiled back.

"Sunpaw! Sunpaw! Sunpaw!" The Clan cheered, Pouncefoot loudest of all.

"Good luck, Sunpaw," Smokestar said to her. "You are going to need it."

She didn't mind his bitter words, she didn't need him to tell her the wrong and right of her decision. She was home and she was going to train the hardest any cat could possible.

_I have begun my mission, mother and I will stop at nothing to make sure I accomplish it. I am warrior, I will always be a warrior, and nothing will stand in my way in trying to save you._

**I know this was short, but I really want you to review anyway. I hope to make the next chapter longer, perhaps from Midnight's point of view :) **


	9. Chapter 8

**Okay, so I have decided that I will make this chapter from Midnight's POV. Keep reading and keep reviewing, because I know that not many people have see this as Bright Horror. **

Midnight watched his group of rogues bask in the sun and share tongues with one another. It pained him to see them like this, like elders on an early greenleaf morning. His teeth glinted in the sunlight as he pulled his lips back. This was not how it was supposed to be in the Black Horror. This is not what Blackstorm would want to watch from the Place of No Stars. He'd want to see claws unsheathed, blood being shed, and Midnight leading it all.

He had not told these cats about their mission, to take down ShadowClan and most specifically Radiantmask. He did not know why he had kept his mouth shut about it. It could've been because as a new leader, it would take time for his cats (and himself) to grasp the truth that their noble leader Blackstorm was gone and trapped within endless darkness and decay, but at the same time, it could have been the fear of being defeated again...

No! What was he thinking? These cats would never be defeated twice, especially now since most of ShadowClan was gone, and they would take moons to train, as soon as they got started. Blackstorm was mouse-brained to jump right into action like he did. Midnight wasn't going to be like him; he would do it the right way, we would wait, for seasons, for the wounds he would open would be the same, slow and painful, like it should be.

From his cave, Midnight lifted his head and yowled a shriek-like call for his cats to come and join him. As he watched them gather, he realized that even though they had lost just three cats from the battle, it all seemed much too empty. Slice, who had died of severe wounds when they returned after the battle with ShadowClan, Icicle, killed by that fox-heart, Radiantmask, and of course himself. He should be down there, listening out for Blackstorm, but no, Blackstorm was gone.

He had to be harsh, he had to show that he could be powerful and strong and not care about their feelings, to be accepted as their leader. If we were to show any sort for softness, like from his old life, The Black Horror would ditch him. He was fierce, he wasn't going to let anyone walk over him with muddy paws.

"Frog-brains you all are! What kind of pathetic things could you be doing besides training? Do you not know how important it is that we get our revenge and prove to the forest, that we deserve to rule them? Look at you down there, grooming each other and catching the sun's rays when we could be battling and showing the forest what we are really made of!" Midnight looked from one cat to another. "Blackstorm, possibly the best leader any of you could have asked for. He changed your mixed up lives into more, he showed you your true calling, with teeth bared and claws unsheathed. Embrace that, even now that he is gone, for true strength lies within a cat's battle skills. Stain the ground with your blood! Show the Clans that you are better than what you used to be, alone, starving, lost within lies told to you, like that you fight to protect. Because, my friends, that is wrong. We fight to taste blood, we fight to kill enemies, we fight for ultimate power!"

The Black Horror cheered in agreement, shooting a roar of ghastly shrieks at him.

"Train, my cats, train, and let the Clans feel our claws!" he yowled.

Cats turned on one another, lunging and spitting. Midnight watched each drop of blood splatter at the ground, and he felt triumphant in himself. Each cut in flesh, was a single step closer to victory, for one day, he will rule the forest, beside his followers and introduce to the Clans, what reality is really like.

* * *

Midnight curled up in his nest that night, proud of his group and proud of himself. There was nothing better than watching the nightmare he had created. He only hoped that Blackstorm was proud of him all the same.

Closing his eyes, he tucked his paws under his chest, and fell to sleep.

Midnight tried to fight away the dreams that wanted to come to him. Images of his past pained him like falling from a towering cliff high enough to reach the moon. He pushed away visions of his kit-hood, watching his father be killed right before him, run over by a careless, evil monster. He was sickened to the core as he saw his mother in her state of insanity, driven the wrong way by horrible grief and loss. Lucky for him, all of what he saw was no more than a shard of glass flying helplessly through the air, chased away by the cold wind.

Just as everything began to fade to peaceful blackness, a wall of agony threw him across his state of sleep and welcomed in a dream, he had not want to come, perhaps the worst of all his memories. A dark tabby and golden she-cat with amber eyes like his stood before him, begging him words he could hear over his own cries of protest. But he was not strong enough to fight off the vision.

_"Don't take him from me!"_

_"Don't go, please don't go Jasper!"_

_"Jasper, you know this is wrong..."_

Thorns pierced his heart as he heard the voices. He saw everything in black and white, like he is peering through a cloud of mist that refused to be blown away by the howling wind in his ears.

_"I will find you again, Dahlia."_

"I promise."

Midnight screeched at his own voice. Even as he thrashed his paws at the image, the amber eyes of his sister would not turn away.

Then he saw the worst.

The brown and golden tabby stood directly before him, with a paw raised into the air. He could only watch as the claws of the she-cat fell towards his neck, and he helplessly flinched, but to no avail.

Suddenly, as quick as a snake, a black figure moved behind him, eyes of blue eyes, flashing for a moment, before disappearing, over the she-cat's shoulder and crimson stained teeth, grasp her throat. Shaking her, the black cat dropped her over the branch of the tree and a loud snap split the air.

Midnight roared as he clawed his way free of the nightmare, panting in abyss of darkness as the blood-stained images gave way into nothingness.

Dahlia, oh how much he realized he made a mistake. He never should've left her alone, helpless and as cared in the forest, he never should have let Blackstorm poisoned his mind into turning to this monster in his cat body.

"How dare you regret joining me?"

The call made Midnight jump. He whipped around to face the same black cat in his nightmares, eyes dim and cold. "Blackstorm," he said. "You tricked me."

"I did no such thing," the Dark Forest cat growled. "You have bees in your brain, Midnight. I only brought you to my camp because I needed more warriors. You realized all on your own how glorious battle is. You released your own inner strength. Tell me now what I ever said to make you think the deed was of my doing."

"You told me joining you would promise power," hissed Midnight.

"And I speak the truth. Look at you now, the Black Horror respects you. Now that I am gone, they see you as their leader. Not Jaws, not Wolf, not anyone else, besides you."

"We lost the battle we started to gain power," Midnight argued.

"And that is because my pathetic sister killed me, lucky for us however, she was frog-brained enough to let herself fall from a tree. She is helpless now, Midnight, and ShadowClan is weak. There is nothing that can stand in our way now."

"Then perhaps I made a mistake myself," said Midnight. "I let my own sister die, when she was the only family I had left. I think it is the right decision to leave you and all you have created, so that I don't lose myself as well."

"Midnight," Blackstorm murmured. "I know you are feeling pain, and not the good kind. But look what I have done as well, I had killed my own mother, and I left my sister as well, and do you know why? Because I deserved a better life. The Clans lived life too soft, believing that mere words and dead cats should control their lives. And there was also a reason I did not walk alone. When you are alone, you have nothing, when you have nothing, anything can stop you. Do you think I was just going to allow that to happen? No, I was going to show the Clans, I wasn't going to accept their petty ways, and that I could live without them. Now after I have shared that with you, I want you think, would you rather be alone and forgotten, or part of something and worshipped?"

Midnight opened his mouth to dispute, but no words came out. Blackstorm was right. Dipping his head at his former leader, he said, "I apologize for the wrong I have caused you. I will no longer let anything change my mind about leading the Black Horror." He stood straighter. "I did not belong as a loner kittypet, and Dark Forest forbid a warrior. I am done looking, because I have found where I belong."

Blackstorm gave him a wicked grin. "I hope you live up to that vow, Midnight. Even in the Dark Forest, their are no limits to me killing the living."

**:) Review! Review! Review!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Keep reading and keep reviewing! It means so much to me! Thanks to Silver Sakura-hime, SwiftStar1 and fewfirebolt1 for your reviews, because they are greatly appreciated. This story wouldn't be fun without so keep it up! Talon of Soaring Eagle, this plushie is for you, *tosses plushie* Keep it up!**

Sunpaw padded after her mentor, fur raised in excitement. Pouncefoot was leading her towards the RiverClan border so he can teach her to hunt frogs. The ground was softer there, as he said. Frogs are abundant in the area during the warm months and especially during rain.

As the ground began to squish under her paws, Sunpaw stopped. Pouncefoot turned to her with warmth in his eyes. "The first thing you should know," he said, "Is to keep your voice low."

"I expected that," she replied quietly. "What good would it be to crash carelessly through the forest, and let all of the prey know you were after them? It would be foolish to think they are all just lining up to have claws ripping them open."

Pouncefoot nodded. "Keep upwind on your prey so that they don't sense your coming. Mice and squirrels have noses like us. Always check the air to be sure that you are facing the wind." He shook out his pelt. "You are young and this is your first time out hunting, I know it may seem tempting to get all excited, but the prey can sense your anxiety too."

Sunpaw dipped her head. "What about techniques I can use for stalking and pouncing?"

"Patience, that's good. Most apprentices would run after a mouse before they know what in StarClan's name they're doing. It is a strength you should keep. Anyway, to your question, Keep low, pawsteps light and nimble. You want to be quick but not running." Pouncefoot dropped to a crouch. His fur was lying flat against his flank and his tail was stiff and straight, hovering just above the ground. His lifted his paw and placed it down softly. He repeated it several times before finally sitting up. "That is how you should appear, flat but don't run yourself along the ground, it could stir leaves or bracken and alert the prey. They'll take any chance to bolt if it means life." He gestured for Sunpaw to try.

She nodded and slowly, lowered herself on her legs, bending and falling slightly back. Her tail dropped to the ground, but she quickly raised it and made it stick straight.

"Good, now, very slowly for now put one paw in front of the other, very nice. Yes, keep going. Lower yourself a little more. Keep a good pace. Okay, now quicken it up a bit. Wait, still place your paws lightly. Watch out for that leaf. Remember to breathe, Sunpaw, no, gently. No it is not impossible, keep your patience. Keep going...good!"

Sunpaw rose up, feeling herself relieve. Her legs ached now from crouching like that. Rolling her shoulders she sat and waited for her next instruction.

Pouncefoot circled her. "You're doing very well. Now for the kill." He got down into his crouch, searching the ground. "Be sure to not only focus on the prey but on everything else around you too. You must know how to sense the world positions, where every twig lies so you know not to step on it, where the prey is facing, and where you might think it would be planning to run if it saw you. You have to _think _like your prey so you know how to out smart it. Now, watch closely, and then I would like you to try." He shifted somehow and leaped through the air with such speed, Sunpaw barely could follow him with her eyes. He landed with a dull _thud_ and sank his claws into the rich earth, tearing through the grass with ivory claws. It was done and over all within a heartbeat.

Sunpaw blinked as Pouncefoot waited for her to copy his performance. She unsurely got into the hunter's crouch, tail stiff and all. She sat there for a whole minute, pondering what she could do to follow up on Pouncefoot's leap.

"Uh," she murmured. "Here goes nothing."

With that she moved all her weight to her front paws and traced herself to jump, but all that happened was she lost her balence and stumbled forward, knocking her shoulders into a tree.

Pouncefoot shook his head but a purr of amusement rumbled in his throat. "A common mistake you made, daughter. You need to put you weight on you back legs so you can push off from there and land perfectly on your frog. Sometimes I wonder how they could even really consider doing something like that." He chuckled.

Sunpaw felt her pelt heat up in embarressment. She refused to meet her father's eyes as his laugh died down to silence.

"Alright," he said. "Let's take a break on that. How about we try a different technique. The stalking is the same, but instead of getting within a safe and reasonable distance away from the prey, you should come in about maybe a mouse length or two away. Get one forepaw at the ready and swipe at you prey." A paw shot out from Pouncefoot's front and made Sunpaw flinch. "This isn't easy, but is good to know if you are having trouble the way you are."

Sunpaw tried it.

"Faster!"

She attempted the method once more.

"Perfect!"

For a long time afterward they practiced the techniques. The sun was just dipping below the horizon before Pouncefoot told her to stop. Her legs and sides were cramppain and her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.

_And after all that, I never even got to hunt any real prey. I caught a couple leaves, but not one frog!_

Pouncefoot watched the darkness of the pines as the last golden light of the day faded. Sunpaw stretched and began padding away, ready to head for her nest, curl into a ball and fall asleep until morn.

"Now where are you going?" Pouncefoot asked.

"To sleep?" Sunpaw asked as if it was a question.

"Sleep? No, no, no. Are you joking? This is ShadowClan. We hunt at night. We use the darkness of the black sky as our advantage against other animals. If you were a mouse, scurrying about the roots of pine trees, a mistake you have made, my friend, a huge mistake indeed.

Sunpaw just stared at him. "Hunting now? After all that work?" She asked. "Are you insane?"

"Perhaps," Pouncefoot replied simply. "Are you? You have the ShadowClan blood, Sunpaw. The darkness is not just of our territory, it is of our hearts. We are not soft, lazy RiverClan cats sunning themselves on rocks all day, we are not scrawny WindClan warriors who are not the least bit interested in hunting like a real cat, we are not noisy ThunderClan, bringing the weak in with the weaker, no. We are ShadowClan, we are power, bravery, wisdom. Use it, Sunpaw, use it like the ShadowClan cat you are."

Sunpaw tilted her head.

Pouncefoot looked at his paws. "It seems as though I went a little to beyond myself in explaining. Let's just hunt shall we? Remember all I have taught you, and taste the air." He parted his jaws and took a light breath in. "Once you have the scent, carefully follow it until you have spotted the frog. I am going off, meet me back here when you have something."

Sunpaw watched as he disappeared into the darkness of night. She was alone in the terrritory, left to recall a day's worth of mentoring to capture one mere frog. She spat in disbelief, thinking that every apprentice had to go through this just to learn to hunt.

_It all seems ridiculous to me._

Sunpaw sniffed the air, trying to take in all scents that littered the marshy forest surrounding her. She tasted grass and pine on her tongue, but nothing unusal like a frog.

Then it came upon her. A peculiar smell that left her both disgusted and tempted. Flexing her claws, she turned around and padded through the trees, letting the scent of prey guide her paw steps. It wasn't long before a faint croak echoed through the breeze, rasping and low. Sunpaw prayed the the squishing beneath her paws would fade to silence as she spotted the frog through a bed of reeds. It was probably no bigger than her paw, but Sunpaw was eager to sink her claws deep into its moist flesh.

The frog's belly expanded as it croaked again, eyes unblinking as Sunpaw lowered herself very carefully to the ground. Slowly, she eased her weight to her back paws, unsheathing her claws and slightly piercing the ground.

Once more, the frog croaked.

Sunpaw was very still.

In a flash of movement, she shot her leg out from under her in attempt to scoop the frog towards her chest and bite it, but the creature leaped high into the air, soaring over Sunpaw's head. She braced her legs and pushed off from the ground, head flying over the rest of her body. With a snarl, she snapped her jaws over the frog's leg and brought it down, smashing it vigorously against the ground, killing it instantly.

She stared down at her prey, pride welling up inside her chest. She caught her first frog! Shaking out her pelt, she took it in her teeth and headed back to the place Pouncefoot taught her the skills. Her father was already there, two frogs lying dead at his paws. Sunpaw flicked her tail.

"I did it! I hunted!" She exclaimed, dropping the prey beside the other two.

Pouncefoot purred. "Congratulations! Now you truly are a ShadowClan warrior," he mewed, a bright glow of amber warmth beaming from his eyes. "Did you thank StarClan?"

"What?"

"StarClan, did you thank them?"

"For what?"

Pouncefoot touched the frogs with his nose. "For the prey! Did you thank StarClan for the prey?"

Sunpaw blinked a few times at him. "Oh, uh...no." She stared at her paws, expecting to be scolded.

"Here let me show you," Pouncefoot said, leaning over the frogs and placing his paw over them. "StarClan," he began, eyes closed and voice soft and level, "Thank you so much for this prey. It gave its life for us, for ShadowClan and gave a wonderful milestone to this lovely apprentice Sunpaw. Light her path, so that she live her life as she was meant to."

Sunpaw stared at him. She had never known he could be so spiritual. He mesmerized her with his simple words of gratitude for a diminutive little frog. He still sat motionless, like he was continuing his prayers within the safety of his mind. She gave one look at the prey, before placing her paw over Pouncefoot's and shutting her eyes. As her world faded to complete blackness, she murmured, "Thank you Radiantmask, Tigerspirit. I go through a hard day like this a thousand times over before I let anything or anyone destroy your well being. I hope to see you soon."

When she opened her eyes, she found that she was gazing thoughtfully up at the stars, as they winked down upon her.

**Aw! I liked this chapter! What did you think? Review!**

**Also, I put up a poll on my profile, asking what you think Sunpaw's warrior name should be. Please be sure to vote on it and keep on reading!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hi! Keep reading! Thanks to Silver Sakura-hime, SwiftStar1 and Cinderfire16.**

Faint starlight trickled from the openings of the bramble unclosed camp as if it was rain, threatening the soak their pelts with silver. The light of the round moon brightened the black sky to an endless ocean of deep dark blue. Sunpaw lay relaxing in the center of camp, letting the gentle breeze billow and cool her fur. After the day before, Pouncefoot had not taken her out for any more training, but was planning to the next day. Her pelt prickled with excitement in thinking that maybe she would be taught some battle moves.

A piercing yowl came from the giant oak, ooh the branch that Sunpaw now knew was the Speaking Branch, where Smokestar would give announcements. She raised her head to look at him as he sat and waited for the Clan to congregate below him.

"Cats of ShadowClan! The time as come for yet another Gathering on a full moon night like this one. I have decided to bring all of the warriors, besides Cloudwind, who has volunteered to stay behind and look after Rainfur, Scarletfur and the kits."

Sunpaw widened her eyes. _I am coming too?_ she wanted to asked, but there was no point. Of course she was!

Smokestar leaped off of the Speaking Branch, for several heartbeats flying as if an eagle, and landed delicately on his paws. Before he led the Clan out of camp, he touched noses with Scarletfur, a bright ginger tabby and padded to the front of the small group.

Pouncefoot was beside him, speaking in words Sunpaw couldn't make out from the back of the patrol. As they slipped through the bramble entrance, she looked around to see who the other warriors were. In the silver moonlight falling upon them, the only one she did not recognize was a gray and black tom. The others were Curvefang, who Pouncefoot introduced to her when they bumped into him in camp, and Furledwhisker. When she met his burning blue gaze, she felt an uneasy thrill shoot through her veins, covering it with an icy, numbing pain. She looked away as quickly as possible, but an image of his disapproving look flashed through her mind repeatedly. Sunpaw was also aware of his eyes still boring into her head, as if they were trying to break into her mind and discover all of her secrets.

_He does not want me here_, she realized. She remembered when she first encountered him and Pouncefoot at the ThunderClan border. Furledwhisker thought he was completely crazy bringing a kittypet to camp. He must still feel thwarted, thinking that what he thought was pure strength and ferousity in his Clan was tainted by the tainted softness that is Sunpaw.

A familiar scent washed over her when she realized they were crossing over the marshy area where Pouncefoot had taught her to hunt. The croaks of the frogs made her jaws water and her claws flex, but she kept in line with the group.

Eventually Smokestar started to angle towards the lake, the patrol following him. If Sunpaw were any closer to the shore, she would be wading in the cool water. Pouncefoot fell in beside her and as if reading her mind, he told her, "It is part of our code, if we were to cross into another Clan's territory, we would have to stay at least within two tail-lengths of the lake-unless invited to do so otherwise-so we are not intruding.

Sunpaw nodded.

"I thought I should come in here beside you, so if other cats were to get suspicious, they'd think twice about bothering you," he said, pelt brushing against hers.

Sunpaw bit back a retort. It was a thoughtful gesture, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel the urge to pull away from her father for a while. He was becoming much to attached to her, and Sunpaw sometimes wanted moments to get away from him and be alone. Back at her Twoleg nest, Amy and her parents would be gone for long periods of time daily, so she had gotten used to being completely alone, giving her plenty of time to sleep and watch little golden fish swim in a strange rectangular clear box.

She felt a pang of sorrow when she thought of Amy. Her Twoleg must be missing her so much now that she was gone. At night it was hard to fall asleep without the comfort of Amy's legs pressed against her flank, or the soothing sounds of her steady breathing. Now that she was in ShadowClan, the alarming hoots of owls and the howling wind sent chills running up her spine.

_I wonder if she is looking for me._

With a small tinge of guilt, she longed to go home.

Smokestar led the Clan towards a fallen tree. It was totally uprooted from the ground, and the roots, shadowed from the darkness looked like the arms of a nightmare monster, waiting for the right time to strike out on its prey. She heard voices echoeing from the island the tree led to, and guessed the Gathering must be there.

Smokestar bunched his muscles and leaped onto the tree, pelt ripping as he landed.

"Be careful, it might be slippery," Pouncefoot warned.

Sunpaw crouched and pushed off from the ground, letting out a low grunt of effort. Gripping the bark with her claws, she hauled herself up onto the surface of the tree. Bounding forward, she plunged into the bushes, escaping out into the clearing full of unfamiliar cats.

Pouncefoot came out and looked at her. "How could you ever make across the tree the fast on your first time. I have see apprentices that have fallen like rain even after they have been coming here for moons."

Sunpaw shrugged. "That is what happens when you have been walking on fences as narrow as a cat's tail," she mewed and padded of to sit with the Clan.

Smokestar clawed his way up the trunk of a giant oak even bigger than the one in the camp. He took his place on a branch just below a cream she-cat.

"That's Cherrystar," said Pouncefoot. "She is ThunderClan's leader." Sunpaw grimaced as she recalled the time a few days ago when Blackfire and his gang chased her and threatened her when she was in their territory. "The silver tom is RiverClan's leader, Fishstar, and that's Ivystar, leader of WindClan."

Sunpaw followed his gaze to a branch high up in the tree. Her jaw dropped when she realized it was the yellow she-cat that she had met on the moor when she first left her home. She stood on the branch with a posture that told Sunpaw she had great authority and should not be messed with. She looked over the clearing with a certain look of disgust in her eyes that told Sunpaw that she thought low of anyone else. When her eyes fell upon Sunpaw, her gaze widened in surprise and she parted her jaws, about to say something but never had the chance. The siver tom, Fishstar yowled for the Gathering to start.

"In this time of greenleaf, RiverClan is doing virtuously. We have had two new litters of kits and one a battle with a group of rogue cats." Pouncefoot stiffened at the mention of the rogues, his mouth gaping slightly. Even Smokestar had a look of shock flicker across his usually unreadable gray eyes. "Ha! Nothing can stop us!"

"Is that a challenge?" Hissed a cat from the crowd.

"No," Fishstar said almost too kindly, "Lucky for you it isn't. I am just simply reminding you that you should think twice before messing with cats as powerful as we are in this time."

Smokestar rolled his eyes, "Yes, Fishstar, we know no one can possibly defeat a few fish-breathed warriors." He flicked his ears. "ShadowClan is also doing well, prey is plentiful in the territory and we are gaining strength by the day. Besides that...Cherrystar."

Sunpaw blinked. He failed to mention that she had joined the Clan. She growled in irritable impatience as the silence dragged on, and he hidded not even meet any cat's eyes.

Cherrystar smiled in a devious way before she yowled, loud enough to reach the sky, "Attention cats of the four warrior Clans, ShadowClan is taking it _kittypets_ as their warriors!" Sunpaw jumped. "That apprentice beside Pouncefoot, their deputy is a kittypet! My warriors encountered her in our territory, shortly after, ShadowClan took her in!"

Murmurs of surprise swept through the the Gathering. Many angry glares were shot at Sunpaw. Cherrystar let out a hardy laugh that shook the oak.

Ivystar jumped to her paws. "I met her too! That pathetic excuse for a she-cat actually named her Twoleg!" She turned to Smokestar. "Admit it Smokestar! ShadowClan has turned soft!"

Smokestar opened his mouth to defend himself but Cherrystar cut him off. "Not only that, they are_ weak!_ When was the last time they brought a full sized Clan to a Gathering, how about a patrol with more than two, pitiful warriors? You mouse-brained, frog eaters, you are weak, and there is no way you will make us think otherwise!"

The Clans were in an uproar of shouts and yowls of agreements. It wasn't before long that Sunpaw was surrounded with cats of all Clans, yelling insults like "Why don't you go find a cushion to sleep on?" or "Go back to the Twolegs you came from, kittypet, you aren't welcome here."

Ivystar screeched above all the noise, "You are weak Smokestar! Admit it! You have no choice!"

"I have my self-respect," Smokestar hissed. "I will do know such thing. This forest will rot before I allow my Clan to be treated poorly!"

"Too late," Cherrystar mumbled.

Smokestar's eyes lit up in scorn. With a single movement, he launched himself from the branch and locked his teeth of Cherrystar's scruff, they plummeted from the branch and hit the ground with a deafening thud. The Clans silenced.

Smokestar swiped his claws over Cherrystar's muzzle, while flipping her over and ripping the fur from her neck. Yowling, she twisted and pushed up, making Smokestar lose his balence. She leaped on top of him and gorged her claws deep into the flesh of his shoulders. She raked his belly with thorn sharp claws. He growled in frustration and rolled upward, throwing her off. Lunging, he took hold of her hind leg. Blood gushed from between his teeth as he gripped her with his claws on her flank and shoved her away into a cluster of ThunderClan cats.

Fishstar hopped from the tree to stand beside him. "A Gathering is a time of truce, Smokestar. What you did will not be acceptable among StarClan."

Smokestar whirled to face him. "Oh, like what your Clan was doing was so peaceful. You practically _dared _the other Clans to fight you, and on top of it all, they were just about to sink there claws into my apprentice. None of us are innocent tonight."

Ivystar landed in front of them. "You made a mistake, allowing a kittypet into your ranks. If you thought it would make it better for you, think again. You started a war against the Clans," she looked at Cherrystar, who was struggling to her paws. "Beware of your future. WindClan, follow. This Gathering is over, let's hope we will never experience one like this again."

**That was pretty intense. What will Sunpaw do now that she is a target for all of the Clans. Reveiw and you will get another chapter to find out! Tell me what you think!**

**~Destiny**


	12. Chapter 11

**Here is your plushie Talon, *hands her plushie* keep reviewing!**

"How dare they?!"

"They called us_ what?!_"

"How are we going to deal with this?"

Sunpaw sat in silence as her Clanmates raved and ranted around her. Though there were very few, the pounding of blood in here ears made it all sound louder than the Gathering. Smokestar's back faced the Clan, sides heaving and his pelt rippling. The shouts continued, but he still didn't look at them.

"Smokestar, you can't hide from this," said Curvefang voice shaking, and Sunpaw could tell he was struggling to keep his fur flat. "Eventually we are going to have to do something. The other Clans will act fast against us and you know it."

"You heard what Ivystar said. There is now a war between them and us, and the only way to end it is to give them what they want," growled the gray and black tom.

"What do they want then, Soottail?" snarled Cloudwind.

"I don't know!"

Scarletfur narrowed her eyes and walked slightly closer to Smokestar. "Turn around, face us. You have no shame in showing you eyes. Let's go, and figure this out."

"We don't need to," hissed Furledwhisker. "The problem is that kittypet you brought into the Clan. Sunpaw is doom for us. Just look at what the other Clans think of us now that they know we are training a dumb kittypet. She has no worth you know."

Sunpaw closed her eyes. She couldn't bare to look at them anymore. She was the reason that Cherrystar accused them of being weak, and why Ivystar said they were soft. There was no denying the truth about it. She may have been chosen by StarClan to save them, but they would never believe her to do so if she was seen as a threat to their well-being.

"Don't blame Sunpaw for any of this," Pouncefoot growled. "She never asked to be a morose problem for us, she just wanted a place to belong."

"And where she _belongs_ is on in a Twoleg nest eating pellits for food," Furledwhisker shot back. "Smokestar don't you agree? That this irratating, useless ball of fur is only good for licking herself and sleeping all day?"

Many moments of silence followed his question. When Sunpaw thought that he wasn't going to answer, she expected Furledwhisker to speak again, but what came was an unrecognizable, rasping voice. "No, Furledwhisker, Pouncefoot is speaking the truth. She never intended to mean this for us. We are weak. Blackstorm has...he has thrown us off balance from where we used to be. In a sense, he has succeeded in killing us off. We have no chance, we don't and it has nothing to do with this apprentice. She may have been a kittypet, but she will train the way we do, become a strong warrior...and then fall along with us."

It seemed as though the entire forest went quiet after he spoke, like all living beings had stopped to hold their breath and the wind had died down to absolute nothing. Sunpaw opened her eyes. Smokestar had turned around, but he was barely holding himself up as he sagged against the Speaking Oak and looked much older than he was.

"Smokestar," Scarletfur murmured. "No..."

"Yes," he whispered. "Yes indeed. Look at us now. We have four warriors, one apprentice, one Queen, no medicine cat. And since a battle between the Clans has begun, he have no more hope."

"I can't believe it," said Cloudwind, seemingly to herself. "I really thought that when Radiantmask killed Blackstorm, the Clan would recover and go back to be the best there will ever be...because that's how it's always been...right?"

"It is no more," Smokestar grumbled. "Perhaps it seemed that way, for we had one a battle, but it isn't over, life is on going and not every ending can be happy."

"That's how it should be," growled Soottail.

"What do we do?" a gray elder asked. "Do we just give up? Run away live as rogues and leave behind our memory, like there was always just three Clans in the forest."

"No, Rainfur. We will fight this war as we can, as warriors, but I can guarentee it won't be long before we have no more choice."

Scarletfur pressed her muzzle against Smokestar's. "You are brave to say that, my love. But there has to be some way we can fight through this some way-"

"Oh, we'll be fighting all right," hissed Smokestar. "But we will die trying. Look around at those bony bodies, that unkept fur, those gnarled claws. Do you think that we can defeat the other Clans like that?" He sounded completely mad.

"What do they even want from us?" spat Cloudwind. "They obviously don't want that 'weak' and 'soft' kittypet from us. There is nothing that we have they could possibly take to make themselves stronger."

"Don't you get it? They want everything we have left! Our territory to hunt on, out prey, the three kits we have left that they can raise as their own and give better lives to! They know that we have no hope! They know that the stars no longer shine down upon us! They know that there is nothing we can do to change it!" Smokestar yowled.

_Three kits?_ Sunpaw thought. "Wait."

Suddenly all eyes were on her.

She swallowed and looked at the ground. "Why don't we start training the kits as warriors? The sooner they get the apprenticed the better right? I mean...uh...well, if we start training them then they get to be warriors and then we will have more...um..heh heh...warriors."

No one replied. Furledwhisker's nose twitched in amusement, like he thought Sunpaw was joking. Curvefang tilted his head, as if he was considering the idea. Soottail and Scarletfur both widened their eyes, except hers were more in indignation. Cloudwind and Rainfur looked taken aback. Pouncefoot coughed, but Smokestar remained completely expressionless, blank like a cloudless sky.

"They are three moons old," whispered Scarletfur, voice colored with hate. "They can't train now, they can barely have solid food. It would be too dangerous to send them out into battle before they are at the proper age to train."

"Oh," Sunpaw said. "I was...I didn't know."

"No wait," Smokestar said, and all the attention snapped back to him. "What she says is brilliant, we need to do that."

"What?" Scarletfur exclaimed.

"Yes, yes," Smokestar said. "Okay, I know you may all think I am insane, but hear me out. If we get the kits training, then they will be prepared for battle and hunting and all of that. They will be in less danger then than they would be a few moons from now, starving to death and traveling alone through a cold blizzard, driven out of the home they barely knew and seperated from their family. That will add three warriors to the four we have now, and in the furture when there will be more kits, we may just gain back our strength."

"No, Smokestar. Remember the legend of the Great War? The three Dark Forest leaders, Tigerstar, Hawkfrost and Brokenstar? They were sent there for reasons. Brokenstar, was a murderer, he drove WindClan away and forced kits into training before they were ready. Kits_ were killed_, innocent little kits with still the fluff in there fur. Do you want our kits to endure the same dangers and cruelty they did, way back then?"

"Scarletfur, my love, please understand that this is what we need to do if the Clan is to survive. Besides, Brokenstar pushed them to hard, he was terrible and brutal. Here and now, we are not, for we are fragile and on the brink of terrimination. Please...what would you rather have? Kits fighting...or kits fighting for their lives?"

The ginger she-cat was silent for a long time, even when Smokestar urged, she refused to speak.

Curvefang stepped forward. "I agree with you Smoketstar. I believe that this is the only way."

Rainfur agreed as well. Cloudwind was hesitant but nodded her head in agreement. Soottail didn't speak at all and Furledwhisker outrightedly hissed in answer.

"We can give it a shot," Pouncefoot said.

Smokestar nodded. "I will voice their ceremonies tomorrow at sunhigh. If things go badly, I will change my mind."

"So it is settled?" Pouncefoot asked.

"Indeed. Scarletfur, I would like you to ask which one of our kits will like to be the medicine cat. Cloudwind can try to teach them what she can, but the rest is up to StarClan." Before his mate could retort, he said. "Now for StarClan's sake let's get some rest. It is the last time I stay up passed moonhigh."

As the Clan quickly dispersed into dens, Sunpaw gritted her teeth._ It was all me on this. Let's hope this works or else I am going to be a huge problem for Scarletfur and the fate of ShadowClan._

**Yay! That did not take me long, which is probably why I ended it so badly. Eh. Please though, review, and check out my poll on my profile for what you think Sunpaw's warrior name should be. I really want to here your opinions.**

**~Destiny**


	13. Chapter 12

**Thanks for the reviews!**

"From now, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Tigerpaw and Mousepaw. Tigerpaw, your mentor will be Curvefang. He is not only fierce in battle and a skilled hunter but also a loyal and wise warrior. I hope he will pass on these wonderful qualities to you. Mousepaw, I have chosen Furledwhisker as your mentor for his bravery and ability to speak his mind in a time in need. I know he will do well in teaching you all he knows."

"Tigerpaw! Mousepaw!" The Clan cheered. Sunpaw couldn't help but notice how small they were at just three moons old.

"Lastly," Smokestar said. "I am aware that Stormkit is interested in taking up the medicine cat position. So be it. Stormkit, you are doing a virtuous thing for this Clan, sacrificing your dream of becoming a warrior, so I name you Stormpaw and bid you a marvelous apprenticeship."

"Stormpaw! Stormpaw!"

The three new apprentices stood below the Speaking Branch- Scarletfur didn't want them climbing the tree- and went to join their mentors. Cloudwind padded up to Stormpaw and touched noses with him. "I will be teaching you some of the medicine cat knowledge," Sunpaw heard her say to him. They turned away from the Clan and padded to the medicine cat den.

Sunpaw turned to the cat next to her, Pouncefoot. "What are we going to be doing today?" She asked him, pelt prickling in anticipation for his answer. She had to force her fur to lay flat. She let out a _mrrow_ of amusement at herself, thinking that it was rather ridiculous how excited she was to be training, when she was still skeptical over if she made the right decision staying. And now her suspicions rose higher, considering the event the night before. She prayed silently that they would not go on a border patrol, not at all willing to show her face to the other Clans, and she could never imagine anyone else in the Clan wanting to either._  
_

"I thought I could teach you a battle move or two. Soottail will be joining us for further teaching. You will need someone to practice on while I observe your skills," the brown and white tabby replied.

"Okay," she mewed as her eyes searched for the gray and black tom around camp. She spotted him speaking to Rainfur, the elder. Pouncefoot emitted a rumbling meow and beckoned him to join them.

"Hello," he greeted, dipping his head specifically at Pouncefoot. "Where are we going?"

Pouncefoot didn't reply right away. He led them out of the camp entrance and then spoke in a slow tone as they walked. "I was thinking we could go to the clearing by ThunderClan territory."

Soottail narrowed his eyes.

"Don't worry, we'll be farther enough away so they can't scent us," Pouncefoot said, clearly understanding his dilemma.

It wasn't long before they reached the clearing, but they had to pass through a thick part of the forest to reach it. Sunpaw could barely make her way around without bumping into a tree, and the broad tree-tops kept from sunlight reaching down to the ground, making it quite difficult to see except for a few blotches of gold that dotted the ground in specks.

Pouncefoot turned to Sunpaw ears angling towards Soottail. "He is clearly a much larger opponent," he said. "But size does not matter when it comes to most things, and battle is one of those things. You also have to learn to be quick and nimble, especially in areas like ShadowClan territory, where the pines are thick and close together. It is not always easy to accomplish this, especially since you are new to this area." He looked at his paws and swallowed as he said the last words.

Sunpaw nodded. "I can understand that. You will not believe how many times I almost tripped over some twigs and things like that."

"Yes," Pouncefoot said. "I bet I would not. Anyway, turn to Soottail and attack him. Let's see how you would defend yourself against his advantage."

Sunpaw looked over her shoulder at the warrior. His muscles rippled under his shoulders as he crouched in a ready position for her attack. She hesitated. How will she ever be able to defeat such an experienced warrior like him?

"Anytime," Soottail said. He unsheathed his claws, gorging them into the grass. "I have all day."

Sunpaw gulped and copied his position. Several heartbeats passed before she moved. Soottail rolled away towards her side and gave her a mild blow to the flank. It didn't hurt, but she still stumbled and gave him another chance to strike, this time on her soft belly. It stung badly and she let herself curl into her ball on the ground as she waited for the pain to pass. Soottail didn't do anything else, probably at Pouncefoot's command but she didn't know, being to focused on her agony.

When she recovered after a minute or so, she shakily rose to her paws and looked at Pouncefoot for his scolding. "A few things wrong with what you just did," he murmured. "First of all, you were too slow, giving Soottail a chance to strike out on you."

"No kidding," whispered Sunpaw.

"Second, when he hurt you in the belly, you just lied there. Imagine it was a fox, you were fighting. Do you think it would just wait for you to feel better before it attacked you again? No, it wouldn't. Before you could say 'frog' it would have gripped you by the throat. You must learn to handle the pain you receive because it's not all just going to be training. Eventually, you will be fighting an enemy Clan or perhaps some rogues. You must teach yourself to keep at it. If you need to, remind yourself that your Clan is more important to you than anything else, and know you are fighting for them."

Sunpaw didn't want to be lectured any further. She nodded briskly and said quickly, before Pouncefoot could continue, "Could you teach me some moves now?"

Pouncefoot seemed agitated at her impatience, but didn't say anything. He dipped his head and flicked his tail. "Okay. I will show you a good move for tricking your opponent." He told Soottail to leave so they could work in private, and then started to demonstrate. "If Soottail were to be waiting for you to attack first, as he did before, he would be ready for anything you could throw at him. So you shift slightly, like you are getting ready to blow. When he is aware of that, he is sure to move."

"But when he does, what are you going to do then?"

"That's the best part. When he sees that you are going to do something, he would try to do something first in defense. Most likely he will move out of the way of your attack, and strike you from someplace else." Pouncefoot gestured to Sunpaw's small gash on her stomach. "What you need to do, is meet him there."

"So basically I'm just toying with him? If I flinch, and get him to think I am about to attack, he will dodge and attack from somewhere else. And then I see where he is going and try to get there first?"

"Yes!" Pouncefoot exclaimed, seeming relieved. "It's pretty simple really. Why don't you practice on me first?" He dropped down, one paw in front of the other and waited.

Sunpaw's wound burned as she got down into position. After a minute of just staring blankly at her father, she reached out a paw, swiftly, claws extended towards Pouncefoot's shoulder. When they were inches from his fur, he leaped, reaching a paw out to get her on the foreleg. She whipped a hind paw out from under her and struck him on the chest just as his claws connected with her fur. But before they could make an impact, he fell backwards, blood slightly trickling from his cut.

"Very good," he rasped, voice hinted with both pride and discomfort. "I never thought of using my hind leg. By doing that, you kinda pushed yourself out of reach of my own blow. You really are a warrior at heart." His voice drifted off as he pupils dialated, abysses of blackness pooling over the amber. "Just like your mother, so determined, so motivated to do her best...that...that frog-brain, willing to die just to keep her self-respect, leaving me thinking all I had was lost...but no...right?"

Sunpaw spoke no words. For several minutes, Pouncefoot remained in that state, there, but not there, in his territory, but lost from himself. It wasn't until his pupils turned back to narrow slits that she said something. "Should we call in Soottail?"

"Huh?" He mused, blinking the clouds from his gaze. "Oh, yes. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees what you know."

At Pouncefoot's call, the gray and black warrior strode into the clearing. "Ready for this?" he teased.

Sunpaw nodded confidently. Her unwavering glare seemed to surprise the young tom, but he hid well behind a mask of matching zeal.

With a slight shift, Sunpaw shot her forepaw out from tucked beneath her chest. Soottail grunted as he jumped, right over her head. Rolling over, Sunpaw pushed off from the ground, sinking her teeth, slightly into the flesh on his scruff. With a shocked yowl, they fell. Soottail landed on a heap on the grass, shaking the ground with a thud. Sunpaw dropped squarely onto her paws, his scruff still grasped in her jaws.

After she unhooked her teeth, Soottail groaned and struggled to his feet. Pouncefoot ran up to them. "Great job, Sunpaw. You're doing really well." He turned to Soottail. "Are you alright? Do you need to head back?"

"Nah, nah," he responded, shaking some bracken from his pelt. He looked at Sunpaw. She braced herself, waiting to be insulted in someway for being a no good kittypet, but instead she heard a purr. "If I may say, apprentice. Even for one not born a warrior, you sure are turning out to be a fine one. I'd like to work with you again, if that's okay Pouncefoot, in the future."

"Of course," said the deputy. "We could definetly use your help."

"Great," said Soottail, looking back at Pouncefoot. "Are we going to continue on working?"

"I believe we should. The morning is still young. I bet I can teach Sunpaw some ambushing skills. Perhaps even-"

His voice was cut off as crack split the air from above. Lifting her head, Sunpaw watched as a small branch plummeted from a tree and landed not far off in the clearing. She tensed as another fell, green pine needles drifting down along with it. A shape moved from above, and it was obviously another cat, as she spotted its narrow slitts through the darkness. She tasted the air, but did not detect the scent of ShadowClan. Her fur fluffed up.

Soottail and Pouncefoot also noticed it was an intruder as well, because petulance lit up in their eyes. With a hiss, her father spoke.

"Hey, you! What are you doing up there? This is ShadowClan territory, show yourself now, or we'll come up there after you!"

The cat stopped moving and the eyes drifted down to look at them. After a long time, it nodded and gripped the trunk with its claws. It eased itself down the tree, gripping branch after branch. Eventually, it was close enough the jump onto the ground with solace. The faint light that seeped through the branches, revealed the color of its pelt. Brown with darker tabby stripes covered a majority of its pelt, but its chest, muzzle and underbelly with a pale golden color. Sunpaw gasped, Pouncefoot and Soottail stiffened.

The cat looked exactly like Tigerspirit.

"Who are you?" Pouncefoot whispered, dumbfounded.

The cat blinked at them. "My name is Fawn, I come from a place far from here. Before I go anywhere, I must ask you, do you know my kits, Willow and Storm?"

No one spoke.

"Willow looks exactly like me. Storm is a black tomcat with lighter amber eyes. They ran away from me when they were barely over the age of eight moons. It was all my fault why, and after all of this time, I left to look for them and apoligize. I was going throught thought times then."

Pouncefoot replied, voice shaking. "Funny you say that, Fawn. A while ago, a cat came to us, looked much like you in fact. She pleaded we help her look for her brother, who joined a band of rogues led by a ruthless, blood-thirsty leader. Then-"

"Storm was forced to join an evil group of cats?" Fawn demanded. "I have to go save him, and Willow!"

"Actually," Pouncefoot said, sounding more serious and aggresive. "I am afriad you're out of luck. Your son has turned his back on his old life and now roams the forest, revenge, his number one priority. And your daughter, as we know as Tigerspirit, was killed by their leader."

Sunpaw gaped at her father. How could he be so insesitive?

Fawn stopped breathing, and she looked at Pouncefoot like he had grown another head, but it soon changed to unimaginable sadness, and she let out a grief-stricken wail.

"No!" she yowled. "I already lost my mate, and now my two kits? Why must fate be so horrible to me?!"

Before anyone could respond, she turned around and raced away, vanishing into the forest.

**Wow! Can any of you believe Fawn is here? Well actually, if you read the allegiances, you'd know that was going to happen. Hm. I'm going to make the next chapter from Midnight's POV againso just so you know. If possible, let's try to get to 40 reviews before I update. **

**Be sure you check out my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name!**

**~Destiny**


	14. Chapter 13

**Like I had said last chapter, this one is going to be from Midnight's POV, and I bet you can guess what will happen. Thank you for the reviews!**

"Jaws, come here," Midnight said, beckoning the gray tabby with his tail. "It is your turn now. Join me in the den."

Midnight turned and padded inside his cave. He had grown to be delighted at the still, cold air, and the awful sound of his unsheathed claws, scraping against the stone, filling the air with an eerie screech. The white claw marks he left scourged into the rock made him feel he had done something.

Jaws entered. The shade of the dark den turned his gray fur to black, and his eyes gleamed hatefully in dim light. He sat abruptly, haunches hitting the floor with a dull thud. His tail swished against the stone and his ears flicked. "Midnight, I do not feel comfortable doing this."

"I don't care," the black tom said harshly, words echoing off the cave walls. "You are going to speak anyway. You are going to talk until I stop you, do you understand me?"

"I don't feel that what I have to say is any of you concern," hissed Jaws, showing, Midnight his yellow teeth.

"Oh really?" Swift as a snake, Midnight shot forward, paws outstretched. Before the gray tabby had any time to react, he grasped his fur with his claws and fastened his teeth over his shoulder. Jaws yowled as he crashed to the ground, Midnight gripping his forelegs, keeping him from getting up. He held one claw over his neck, pressing the side of it into his skin. "How about now?"

Jaws swallowed painfully, unable to move. "Alright, alright. I'll tell you," he choked out.

"You better," Midnight growled, unhooking his hold. "Or you're going to wish you were never kitted." He padded back to where he was in the first place, and sat, back facing Jaws.

It was a moment before anyone said anything. Midnight got impatient. "Spit it out, Jaws. I'm having everybody do this, so tell me, what made you feel loyal to Blackstorm, and not your former Clan?"

"Why do you want to know?" Jaws spat.

Midnight spun around and showed him a glinting ivory claw. "Do you not remember what I threatened to you? Frog-brain you are, willing for death before you even get a chance to take your revenge on your pitiful Clan."

"You didn't answer my question," Jaws hissed through gritted teeth.

"Why are you feeling so defiant, young cat?" Midnight questioned. "Perhaps a troubled kit-hood, in your past? I am only trying to understand what caused my cats to join The Black Horror, so that I may understand their venom. I mean to cause you no harm, you imbecile. So talk."

"They are not your cats," growled Jaws. "I left ShadowClan with Blackstorm, not you. Why don't you tell me of your kit-hood? Why did you join us?"

Midnight tensed. "Uh...I was forced?"

"You sound unsure," Jaws hissed. "Why did you join really?"

"Shut up," Midnight hissed. "I am quite surprised you have the nerve to speak to your leader like that. I was forced to join. That's all I have to say. Now you speak, or I really will slit your throat."

"Do it," scoffed Jaws. "I'd like to see you try."

_Why is he like this? The rest of them were not this difficult. _"Okay." With a grunt he leaped at the gray tabby. Jaws dodged and reared up on his hind paws. When Midnight landed on the cave floor. He felt claws pierce his flank as Jaws slammed his paws down. Midnight winced and fell onto his back, causing Jaws to lose his grip. Rolling, he crashed into his opponent, making the gray tabby lose his balance. Jumping up, Midnight pinned him down, feeling hot blood wash over his claws. "And that is why Blackstorm chose me as leader, and not you."

Jaws sighed. "I thought I would actually win. I will tell you."

Midnight didn't let him up. "Then speak."

"As a kit, I was scrawny. Seedstar didn't like me. He barely let me be an apprentice when I turned six moons. When I did though, he gave me a weak mentor. I can't remember her name, but she would jump at every sound. It was miserable.

"But then, an older apprentice helped me. His name was Blackpaw. He taught me how to do some really cool and advanced battle moves, my mentor wouldn't let me do. He was pretty much my best friend. He was the only one that didn't tease me. Even my parents and brother, Soottail did. When we earned our warrior names, Blackstorm changed, in more ways than one. He was suddenly far more distant than usual, and he was disrespectful to everyone, with the exception of me. I took that in pride, that he still like me, so I started to be more like him.

"Soon though, he admitted to me and an apprentice that he killed Hazelstem, and that if we told he would do the same to us. I didn't want to die, so I kept me promise, as did the apprentice. Later though, he got us in on it. We snuck out of camp, following Breezecatcher, who was going to keep watch. We all attacked her, but Blackstorm was the one who delivered the killing blow. Seeing him do it, it just made him look so happy.

"Then when the apprentice earned his warrior name, Redscar. He told us that we were going to help him with his master project: killing Seedstar. I was not so thrilled over the idea. Killing the Clan leader? That would be the worst of crimes. But I agreed, just because I looked up to Blackstorm, he was like a brother to me...a real brother. So one night, we went into Seedstar's den, and attacked. Blackstorm and Redscar both gashed him terribly on the neck, and he lost a life instantly. Then when he awoke, I pinned him down, and placed my paw over his mouth to keep him from speaking, and Blackstorm killed him again. It was then I realized that he was my true leader, not anyone else but him. We were caught by the Clan, but Blackstorm took pride, and we joined him."

Midnight stepped off of Jaws. "So you were neglected by your Clan, which left scars, and you were treated as a brother by Blackstorm."

Jaws got up. "Yes. He was the only one who saw strength in me. What other choice did I have than to join him? It was between the life of a murderer or the life as a prisoner, or at least that's how they treated me."

"I see," Midnight said. "You made the right choice."

"You don't understand," hissed Jaws. "Blackstorm was the only cat I looked up to. He will always be my leader. I will never look upon anyone like I did him. He gave me meaning. You are treating me like any other warrior from my former Clan."

"You must learn to bare scars, but not feel pain. Life is about battles as killing, finding out who is the strongest. You must feel pain like you are a kit again, getting rasped over by your mother's tongue, or you will never learn to be strong."

Jaws shrugged. "I may follow you, Midnight, but you are not my master. I just want you to know that."

"And I will not forget. I hope you don't either." He held up a claw. "Now get back to training. Send in Slayer when you see him. It is his turn to share with me his desire for revenge."

Jaws dipped his head and vanished outside.

_Oh Blackstorm. I know I have to get them to be scared of me, but the only way to seem to do that is by using their weaknesses against them. I can't though. They are my allies...right?_

He knew it would take long before his message came to the former Black Horror leader. He watched the training happening outside his den. Down the hill he spotted a golden-brown tabby being pinned by a mottled gray tom. A tortoiseshell she-cat was creeping up on a dark ginger tom. To young cats were rolling around in the dirt.

Kits were mindless.

Midnight stared at the battling cats for long. Each breath he took in was overwhelmed by the scent of blood, which usually would make him gag, but now, he had gotten used to it, and started to take it as a sense of accomplishment in his cats.

_I bet we could take on a huge pack of dogs and escape without injury._

He longed for that to happen, so he could watch the rogues fight tooth and nail, not just to protect themselves, but also to feel pleasure. If the Clan cats knew they had done that, they would be bowing down to them that minute. Midnight smiled at the thought.

It did trouble him though, how lawless these cats were. Midnight was taught that battle binds his life together, he knew that. But it did sort of concern him how they actually thought a battle would solve all of their problems with themselves and with one another. He was teaching them- or they were already taught- to be murderers. He knew that as a crime, not a way to resolve a misunderstanding. Training was one thing, killing without reason was another.

But what if the victim had deserved to be murdered? That would change the whole meaning wouldn't it? Blackstorm had told them that the Clans were weak, and if frog-brained cowards like them were going to rule the forest, they ought to do something about it. But if they were such cowards, why did they fight without hesitation? It seemed clear to him, that those Clans were willing to put up with anything to keep what was theirs. Midnight knew since Blackstorm had brought him to his camp, that there had to be more.

Despite those feelings he had, deep down he felt in the right place when in battle. With his claws unsheathed and teeth at the ready, he was free. To sink his fangs into an opponent was like he was out hunting, and he had just caught a meaty hawk. The taste of blood on his tongue was like water on the driest day of greenleaf. The enemy falling limp was victory over life and death. The love for fighting he had was within him since he was born, for he loved the sound of his and Dahlia's squeals as they wrestled in the heather, being watched over by their parents. He had just never chosen to embrace him until now. It didn't make him evil, just fierce and ferocious. He was doing this under the will of Blackstorm, not for his own pleasure. Or at least that is what he was trying to convince himself. His leader had shown him the life he was meant to live, and how to live it. If he could thank him in anyway, it would be in destroying the Clans and ruling the forest, if that is what must be done to satisfy him.

"Midnight, sir."

Midnight looked to his side. He had not noticed a tabby tom walk up to him. Blood dripped down his face where it had been torn. "Yes? You are not Slayer. What are you doing here?"

"I just needed to let you know," said the tabby, "That there is an intruder at the front of the camp. Screech and Demon are guarding it. We thought that you should go speak to it."

"You thought correctly," Midnight said quickly, rising to his paws. "Has it said anything to you about where it came from or who it is?"

"No," the tabby replied, starting to lead him away, "Well, at least I don't think so. It keeps yelling something about a storm and a willow tree. Must be bonkers."

Midnight tried not to yelp. Storm? Willow tree? He swallowed, and prayed silently that he had misheard the tabby.

As they approached the congregation of cats accumulated in a crowd, murmuring and whispering to one another, Midnight stopped. Drawing in a sharp breath, he said, "Show the intruder."

The cats of the Black Horror slowly began backing away. After a few moments, all that stood there, were a ginger tom and a tawny tom, and between them, with a fearful look in her eyes, was an almost too familiar, brown and golden she-cat with dark amber eyes. When she saw, him, she widened her gaze. Midnight did the same.

"Storm?" She asked. "Is that really you?"

Midnight flicked his tail and hissed. "No, you bastard. Your son his gone. I am now Midnight, leader of the Black Horror. After all this time why have you come back? I thought you hated us. After father died you have treated me and Dahlia like crow-food, like we were nothing to you."

"I was lost, Storm," Fawn murmured. "And I was grieving. I had to take my anger out on somebody, and you were the two that were closest. I never wanted to hurt you, I just did. Please forgive me."

Midnight knew he couldn't, not after what she had done to them, and it took her this long to finally say it. It was almost funny how she thought it would all be over as soon as he spoke.

So he didn't. He wanted her suffering to be slow and painful.

**Tell me what you thought! Please review! It means a lot to me. Even if you just put a :) that will still make me feel good. Review!**

**Be sure to vote on my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name.**

**~Destiny**


	15. Chapter 14

**Hi again. Thanks for the reviews and keep reading! Sorry it has been a few days since my last update, but we started Constitution crap this week and then I had to finish a Science Fair project, so in other words, homework has been a pain in the ha-ha. **

"ThunderClan attack!"

The ginger tabby leaped onto the light gray she-cat. With a yowl, she spun around, she attempted to strike back, aiming for a mild blow to the shoulder.

"Get out of here you ThunderClan vermin!" she yowled.

Sunpaw watched Mousepaw and Tigerpaw train, but they took it as if they were playing. Furledwhisker and Curvefang had agreed to work with her and Pouncefoot the following day after they encountered Fawn. Her shreiks echoed in her ears when she shut her eyes, and thought there was nothing more terrible than losing what you care for most.

_Amy..._

Her thoughts sometimes drifted off to her former Twoleg owner, but she had taught herself to push it away. It felt wrong though, life without a lap to sleep upon, with food being there at your paws right when you want it. Her legs grew tired from walking around everyday, all day, whether it was stalking a mouse or going on a border patrol. There was no shelter when rain came, and when leaf-bare arrived, no fire to warm her pelt.

_But this is the life I was supposed to have,_ she told herself_, You cannot chage your_ destiny.

Destiny. She kept in mind Radiantmask's prophecy and warnings, but did not see what she could ever mean. The only danger that there was, was the danger of ShadowClan being terminated and frogotten. She could not see how she would ever be able to fix it herself though.

"Very good, Mousepaw," praised Furledwhisker. "I like that technique you used. I never would have thought of teaching you that. Very clever. You're turning into a fine warrior."

"What about me?" Tigerpaw asked, tilting his head towards his mentor.

"You are getting better as well, but you seem a little tense. When you release that unwanted energy, than it should be easier to maneuver around her blows. Keep practicing."

"And I?"

Everyone looked at Sunpaw. Pouncefoot purred and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say a word, a sharp, bitter laugh hit her ears first. "You? Ha! I have seen rabbits with better defense than you! I bet even Mousepaw could pin you to the ground and she's half your age!" All heads whipped towards Furledwhisker. Curvefang narrowed his eyes as if in warning, and Pouncefoot curled his lips back into a snarl. Furledwhisker ignored it. "Look, Sunny, I know you are just trying to be the best warrior you can be, but face the truth already: you are a _kittypet. _Do us all a favor and return back to your warm comfy nest. You wouldn't survive a moon out here in the wild anyway."

Curvefang scowled. "Furledwhisker, I know it is strange having a kittypet training among us, but you have to give her a chance."

"A chance! Ha! I thought her chances were out when she started a war between us. To think that after we lost some of our strongest warriors in the battle against Blackstorm, and _she_ is what we get after that! Smokestar is going mad thinking that a soft pawed dropping eater is going to be a hero!" He laughed again, except this time, it was louder and stronger. Sunpaw was hurt and tried to fight back the urge to attack him.

Apparently, she didn't have to.

Pouncefoot hurled himself at the ginger tom, claws flailing in the air. Furledwhisker widened his eyes and tried to dodge, but he wasn't quick enough. Pouncefoot batted at him with his paws, tearing out fur. Furledwhisker fell onto his back, yowling in shock. Pouncefoot held him down with powerful claws on his shoulders and unsheated ivory thorns onto his belly. The skin split like a twig and blood washed onto the ground.

Furledwhisker hissed, squirming below the deputy, but he was too strong. Furledwhisker stopped struggling and lay panting on the ground, letting Pouncefoot's claws sink deeper.

"Enough!" Curvefang hauled Pouncefoot off of the ginger warrior by the scruff and faced him with fur fluffed up. "What were you thinking? How could you let a few meaningless insults set you off like that? I would have expected that from some mindless apprentice, not an experienced warrior as yourself!" We spun around to face Furledwhisker. "And you! It was no excuse to be disrespectful! Apoligize to Sunpaw right now and go back to camp to get your wounds treated."

Furledwhisker snapped his hard gaze at Sunpaw. His lip trembled as he let out a long, rumbling snarl, revealing sharp, white teeth. "I will not Curvefang. I respect you as a warrior, but I will not walk off of this training session with my head hanging low over a mouse-hearted kittypet that I am twice the size of." He shakily rose to his paws, thick, crimson flowing through his ginger pelt. He nodded at Curvefang and left, limping.

Sunpaw looked down at her paws. "I want to go back too. I feel as if I have done something terrible."

"Do not blame yourself," Curvefang murmured gently. "There is always going to be someone skeptical to hold back. Furledwhisker is that cat in this case it appears. Let's just continue our training. Hopefully we can get through the rest of the morning without ripping each other's pelts off."

* * *

Sunpaw sat on the top of a hill, the only area in the territory not thickly covered with pines. The dark green stretched out in front of her, blanketing anything left under it. The sky was gray and hung so low to the ground, Sunpaw thought that if she reached, she could touch it with her muzzle. The lake had lost its blue glow and its golden shimmer that illuminated the forest with gorgeous and bright hues and was now just a flat sheet of nothing. She flicked her gaze from one end of the forest to the other, paying attention to every movement. A flock of geese took off from the moor and skimmed across the lake before finally landing with small splashes. The tops of the sky-high oak trees swayed as the air let out a breath. A fish leaped in the river before plunging back town beneath the silver surface.

Sunpaw looked down at her paws. The other three territories seemed too peaceful. Even ShadowClan territory looked abandoned, for nothing stirred its brambles. Everything was missing, everything that was meant to be there.

_And to think that there is a so called war beginning._

Oh yes, it was beginning. Days ago, Sunpaw was chosen for a border patrol to the RiverClan border and unfortunately, they met a RiverClan patrol. They kept throwing looks at Sunpaw and warned her and Pouncefoot to watch out. Sunpaw went to sleep that night by throwing herself on her nest and emitting a long, frustrated moan. How could she have done this? What did those cats even want with her? She didn't think they wanted to claim her as their own warrior, as they showed hate and disgust towards her at the Gathering. Memories of that horrid night came to her like they were almost real and at present, like time was threatening to repeat itself, just to savor every moment of Sunpaw's suffering.

Coming back was a mistake, she never should have left the nest in the first place anyway. Was she really a ShadowClan cat? She knew she was born as one, but she could not bring herself to think that she was welcome by anyone except Pouncefoot, that delusional freak! She wasn't welcome, and the insident with Furledwhisker proved so. A quarter moon had passed since then, and Sunpaw had done everything she could to avoid him. But Furledwhisker seemed to turn up everywhere she went, ready at any given moment to insult her and show her his claws, like he was planning to attack her and drive her out. She knew why Pouncefoot couldn't tehim the Clan the truth about her being his and Radiantmask's daughter, for he was already half mad, and claiming Sunpaw as his own would cause cats to begin to question his authority as deputy.

His daughter? Sunpaw tasted bile in her mouth. She wondered deeply if those cats in " StarClan" were even telling her the truth, saying she was once a Clan cat. How desperate they were for warriors, it seemed that lying would be the only way to get her to agree. They promised her she would get to do everything she dreamed of, hunting, fighting, protecting, and it sounded like a life a adventure but it was much toil for so little effect. In the short moon or so she was part of ShadowClan, she had already gone through too much than she could be able to handle with what she already had on her shoulders. The prophecy and predictions of Radiantmask, her so called mother troubled her more often than not. She tried to get herself motivated with her serious and warning words, but with so much on her mind and none of what was happening having to do with it, she felt so stressed.

_I am supposed to stop a darkness, but all that is happening is conflict between the Clans. I am supposed to come across the strange warnings Radiantmask told me about, but I see nothing but dark pine. I am supposed-_

Her thoughts were cut short when a trig snapped behind her. Sunpaw snapped her head around, claws unsheathing, prepared for an attack, but it was only Pouncefoot. His amber eyes showed a certain kind of sympathy that made Sunpaw refuse to meet his gaze.

"What are you doing in up here?" he asked.

"Just thinking," she replied looking back up ahead. She noticed that the air had gotten darker.

"Ah," Pouncefoot said, "Thinking, yes. Your mother would do the same. Go out and just stare off into the forest until her stress subsided, and soon after I have grown to do the same, except we went down by the lake." He stared out. "It all seemed so far from here, doesn't it?

Sunpaw shrugged.

"You know apprentices are not allowed to leave camp without permission," he continued. "But for this one time, I will let it pass. I understand, there is much going through that mind of yours, and it's a little hard to pay attention to the world around you. I suffered from that as well."

"I think I am a little different," Sunpaw murmured. "But I'd rather not speak of it." She paused, and let an uncomfortable moment pass before speaking again. "What even got you to recognize me?" She asked. "I was nothing but a lump of fur when you left me for my Twolegs."

"Perhaps," Pouncefoot responded, tail tip twitching. "But you had eyes too. Those beautiful, round, bright green eyes. When I looked into them, your name ran through my head, my heart began beating twice as fast as it was, my breathing became ragged, the ground disappeared underneath me. Shall I go on? I think you get the point. There are some things that you just...know. I have not a better way to explain it."

Sunpaw's face went downcast. "I guess I do not need to hear more."

"Shall we head back to camp?"

"In a minute. I kind of like it out here."

So they stayed, and until the sky was black, they dare not speak a word.

**What did you think? Again, sorry for such a long update. On Tuesday I was doing homework for literally five hours. No exaggeration. Please review and vote on my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name.**

**~Destiny**


	16. Chapter 15

**Again, sorry it has been a few days. I kinda have writer's block with Sunpaw right now, so this chapter is going to be from the point of view of another Clan. After you read and review to this, maybe you can PM me for an idea? I would really like that. I would be sure to give you a shout out next chapter. Thanks.**

"Ivystar," said Oakshade, poking his head into the den.

"Yes?"

"ThunderClan has arrived."

Ivystar gestured for the deputy for send them in. It was not too long ago when she had asked them to come to WindClan camp so they could talk. Cherrystar had hesitated, saying they would have to think about her invitation. It took a few days, but Ivystar understood their delay.

She had never mentioned the reason for their coming, which could have aroused suspicion within the dense forest, she had it deep in mind, and felt that with her request, she could easily convince ThunderClan to go along with it. RiverClan would be harder, but she would find away to make it work.

Thankfully, this meeting was not to ask for something of Cherrystar or any of her warriors. The territory was nice and large, and it's open moor made it seem even bigger; prey was running well, her warriors were running better; with that all, they were strong. They had a new apprentice, who in which at first she questioned where he came from, was now growing to be a strong and loyal WindClan warrior.

However, things did trouble her, like the war, she, Cherrystar, and Fishstar all declares against ShadowClan. Could it have been a mistake, she would ask herself between gaps of her thoughts. Everything could have been just one misunderstanding, but yet again, perhaps not. She still felt rather confident in her decision back at the full moon, when she accused ShadowClan, along with ThunderClan, that they were training a kittypet. A Clan that for so many seasons, had been cold and hard, was beginning to turn soft. A Clan that she thought would never trust a living soul beyond their own borders, has brought in an unskilled, soft-furred, lazy kit from the Twoleg place. She understood why, for they had barely any warriors, but it was just so rich.

After a few moments, a large group of cats filed into the den, led by a cream she-cat. "I have come, Ivystar."

She nodded. "It seems like you have brought your entire Clan with you."

"What would you expect me to do?" Cherrystar hissed. "Walk across your borders with nothing but claws on my paws and teeth in my mouth? I have to have a few extra sets so that I don't find myself in the middle of a heartless prank."

"No, no, you made a wise decision," said Ivystar. "But do not worry, this is not an attack on you ThunderClan warriors," she murmured. "But perhaps in the future, ShadowClan."

Cherrystar seemed interested. "Hmm," she mused. "What would your plan be?"

"Hold it there," a ThunderClan tabby hissed. "Why would you need us for this?"

"Oh, why would you not want to be a part of it?" Ivystar asked, widening her eyes in question. "This Clan we are talking about, has been the most untrusting group of fox-hearts these forests have ever seen. They treat themselves like they know anything, and could take on anything, don't you want to be there, to show them they are wrong?" She padded up to the group, circling them so each one could see her. "Something happened a while to go to make them this way, weak. Though we may never know what it is, we can still take advantage of it."

"I don't know, Ivystar. What exactly are you suggesting? If we were to drive out ShadowClan, what will StarClan think of us?"

"They deserve it," murmured the WindClan leader. "But no, not quite. I do suggest blood shed however. What other way will we get them to fear us? My plan is to send small groups of our own warriors, perhaps six or seven, to attack the Clans at half moon, every moon, so that they know that we are the strong. We will not kill though, not until the final battle long after the kittypet becomes a warrior. We kill her, and we kill Smokestar."

"I see several things wrong with your plan," snarled Cherrystar. "First, if we attack every half moon, then they will notice and become prepared for each attack. Secondly, aren't we going quite a long way just that one, pathetic kittypet? It is not like she has anything we want."

"It is not about the kittypet anymore!" yowled Ivystar, startling the cream ThunderClan cat, and her warriors behind her. "It is about ShadowClan. Can we all agree that they have caused trouble for all of the Clans before? Though many of the severe things may have happened long ago, they have learned from those things. Those fox-hearted mange-pelts have done unimaginable things. For WindClan, back in the old forest, they drove us away! Like we were rogues! Just moons after, they tricked RiverClan into joining forces with them to create one Clan and almost destroyed the forest! And may I remind you, Cherrystar, that they have attempted numorous times to throw you off! Just because of a silly opinion over authority. They claimed that you were arrogent fools and tried again and again to prove you all wrong! Well doing so, made them those fools they spoke of! I have had enough of them, trying to be the strength of the forest and as sharp as thorns when they could barely think straight over what StarClan had created them to really be!"

Cherrystar's eyes flicked to the side, as she thought. Ivystar panted after her rant and went back to her nest, licking at her claws, in wait for ThunderClan's response.

"I have no problem doing this on my own," Ivystar whispered. "I will get RiverClan to agree to this if you decide to not go through with this idea."

A warrior from the group leaned over to whisper something into Cherrystar's ear. She turned to him and slowly nodded. "I see your point there," she mumbled. Looking at Ivystar she said, "Okay, you have my agreement. Before we go on with discussing the battle plans, I just want to remind you that we are your _allies, _not your _friends._ My Clan is still my Clan. They go through with my orders and commands, not yours. I just want to get it in your head that we have just as equal authority as you do."_  
_

Ivystar dipped her head briskly. "I understand that, Cherrystar, and might I say, what a wise choice you have made. Meet my outside after I announce your decision to my Clan." She pushed past the patrol and felt the hot sunlight touch her face as she came outside. Leaping atop the Tallrock she licked her lips and let out a rumbling yowl. "Let all cats old enough to chase their own prey join here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting."

She watched as her warriors culled a below the stone. ThunderClan hung back, watching Ivystar with suspicious eyes.

"As you all know, I have been thinking about leading an attack on those ShadowClan warriors for a while now. And it has occurred to me that we would need help. So I have brought ThunderClan here with me and they have agreed to join in with us on our rampage."

A few murmurs of surprise were heard across the camp but none that were very questioning. Ivystar continued.

"They bring with them their ferosity for the battle, and that merged with our speed and agility would be perfect for teaching that ShadowClan a lesson. Let us think. There has been times when each Clan, at least once have brought in an outsider to join our ranks." She found that her gaze drifted to a brown and white tabby apprentice who was beside a larger tom in the middle of the congregation. "And when we did, ShadowClan mocked us like we were cloud-brained fools, but ha! Now they have done it and they play it off like they have done the most genius thing to ever have been accomplished. Do you think that is fair, I ask?"

An uproar of angry cries erupted from the cats below.

"No, it isn't!" Ivystar said. "So what we have decided upon is to take small groups of cats, hopefully from different Clans, and have them attack ShadowClan! Show them they can't push us around any longer! Show them that we are no different from them! Show them that they are not the fiercest, bravest or strongest cats in the forest! So once every so often- we have not decided upon the exact times- we will go to the ShadowClan camp, attack them like the fox-hearts they are, and take back the honor they have stolen from us with their petty, and hateful words! We will show them tooth and claw! We will show them that we are just as good as them, if not better! So now I say, my Clan, my glorious, loyal Clan, bring on the war!"

Cheers and yowls rang out from the camp, reaching the all corners of the forest and echoing back like a brilliant and marvelous song of triumph. Even ThunderClan roared their happiness.

"We will start it all as soon as we can," Ivystar yowled above the noise. "Dismissed!"

She hopped of a Tallrock and the Clan dispersed, murmuring their excitement to one another. Ivystar met Cherrystar's eyes from across camp and nodded.

She nodded back.

A movement out of the corner of her eyes made Ivystar turn. The brown and white tabby apprentice as padding up to her, green eyes filled with excitement.

"Hello, Shadepaw," she said.

"Hi, Ivystar," he replied, voice shaky with glee. "I cannot believe it! My first battle! Can I please be in the first group to attack, please?"

"We will see," Ivystar mewed. "Until then, practice your battle moves. You never know, maybe you will get your warrior name early."

"I hope so," he said. "I will see you later!" And he bounded off towards his mentor, tail flicking.

**Okay so that was chapter 15. Once again I am sorry it has been a few days, but please remember to PM me, if you have an idea And review.**

**I do not own Shadepaw, Cinderfire16 does.**

**Remember to vote on my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name!**

**~Destiny**


	17. Chapter 16

**Again, sorry it has been a few days. Writer's block. This chapter might be short. **

Sunpaw carried a large frog in her jaws towards the nursery. She had grown to really enjoy the taste of the slimy prey, and tried to keep herself from eating it herself. When she poked her head in, she saw Scarletfur with her three kits at her belly, suckling. They were still just barely old enough to have solid prey, and it worried her about their early apprenticeship.

She dropped the frog at Scarletfur's paws. The ginger she-cat grunted in thanks and began to take hungry bites out of its belly. Sunpaw sighed. She was hoping that she could get a conversation out of her, but she knew that it would take a long time before she was going to forgive her after sharing the idea of her kits leaving in the first place.

Sunpaw turned around, padding silently out of the nursery.

When she arrived outside the den, she spotted Pouncefoot across camp. When he met her gaze, she shot up from where he was sitting and raced up to meet her.

"Sunpaw," he said. "Come with me. It is time for your first assesment. Smokestar wanted to watch over you too. Once we get out there, I will give you your instructions."

Sunpaw nodded. It seemed so soon that she was assessing. She blinked. "Is it full moon?" She asked. "I mean like, it seems like it has only been a few days since I first came here." _And a whole moon since leaving Amy._

Pouncefoot smiled. He began heading away from camp. She followed behind him. "Yes. Time files. I worry for tonight's Gathering, after what happened last full moon. I really hope everything blew over by now. A battle is what we need the least right now." He nudged her. "Who knew a fluffy kittypet could stir up so much trouble." He laughed, but Sunpaw knew that it wasn't meant to be funny.

They didn't travel very far; within just a few minutes Pouncefoot stopped. Sunpaw looked around, trying to scope out the area to see what obstacles there were she could think through what battle moves she could use. Also she tasted the air, to calculate the places prey were hiding.

Before Pouncefoot could speak, a bush rustled and a dark gray shape came to join them.

"Sunpaw," Smokestar said, dipping his head at her and Pouncefoot. "It is time for your first assessment. Your job is to catch two frogs and a vole. Bring them to us when you are finished. We will be watching, even if you may not see us. Are these instructions clear?"

Sunpaw nodded. "I am ready."

"Good," Smokestar replied, stretching. "You may now begin."

Sunpaw took a deep breath in, and right away caught the scent of mouse, but she didn't want a mouse. She needed frog and a vole. She delved deeper into the forest, trying to let her nose reach as far as they could and scense everything there was to scent. When she was just a kittypet, she didn't use her nose much, but now she could know imediately that there was dark pine that stretched all the way to the ends of the territory. She caught a nest of blackbirds far off, and she found that in the other direction, there were frogs in the marshes beside RiverClan territory.

She bid a last farewell with a flick of her tail and raced off. Though the wind was closed off by the thickness of the pine, short and cool breezes ran through her fur as it billowed behind her. The scent grew stronger the closer she got and made her mouth water.

She skidded to a hault as soon as she heard the first croak. Her eyes darted from side to side until she caught the small shape sitting about two tail lengths on. Her lips curled back into a determined snarl. Remembering the teaching she had received by Pouncefoot a moon ago, she delicately placed one paw at a time in front of her, firm enough to keep her balance perfect. She moved quickly but slow enough to know her every movement.

When she was close enough, Sunpaw leaped and let out a yowl. Before the frog could even think of moving, her claws pierced its belly. The prey let out a last choked croak before dying.

Sunpaw smiled. _One down, one more to go, and then just a vole left._

She dug a hole in the ground and dropped the dead frog inside.

As she was about to continue her hunt a sharp hissing noise hit her ears. She whipped around and a wave of fish slammed into her taste buds. Gagging, she tried to find something else to mask the horrible scent of RiverClan. What she found left her surprised.

The mouth-watering aroma of rabbit and a hint of dried grass.

Sunpaw narrowed her eyes in suspiscion and crept forward. What was WindClan scent doing in RiverClan territory? The trees began to thin out quickly and it wasn't long before they did nothing but just dotted the ground, providing little shade across the grass.

The border was a flat, wooden plank that hovered over a calm stream. Sunpaw saw shapes move out of the corner of her vision and took cover in a bush just beside the plank. She peared through the think branches, careful not get pricked by a thorn. She saw who was there. A black tom and two WindClan cats, who one of them she recognized as Ivystar were standing before him.

"...I don't understand that you can't say anything to me right here, right now," growled the black tom.

Ivystar arched her back, and yet her head was still over his. "You are deputy, Ravenheart. Not leader. And I want to speak to your leader."

Sunpaw bristled that sound of her voice.

Ravenheart didn't look intimidated. "For someone as ignorant as yourself, I am surprised you made it as far as you did. How dare you think you can get through here without an escort? Forget it. You aren't getting to Fishstar before you make it past me. How do we know that you aren't attacking us? After you Fishstar and Cherrystar confirmed war on the Clans, there is no way we can believe your every word."

"This war is not between each Clan," Ivystar whispered. "It's between us...and ShadowClan."

Sunpaw widened her eyes and tried hard not lose her balance. She knew she angered the other Clans, but she didn't know why she had done so enough to cause such a problem.

Ravenheart angled his ears at Ivystar, but it appeared that he was trying hard not to give in his interest. "I still do not see why you can not tell me before Fishstar."

"It may concern you as soon as I speak to Fishstar. It is not your place in this issue. Once I recommend this idea to your leader, perhaps you can take part in it."

Ravenheart looked to the side, refusing to meet her hard gaze. Sunlaw had to duck down to be sure he wouldn't see her. "Fine."

Ivystar and the other warrior looked delighted at his response. As he began to lead them towards the RiverClan camp, Sunpaw turned tail and raced through the forest, faster than she ever had before. When she burst into the area where Pouncefoot and Smokestar were, they looked quite alarmed.

"Sunpaw?" Smokestar said. "Where is your prey?"

"The prey can wait," she hissed. "The other three Clans are planning to ambush us!"

**That was a very short chapter but it took me so long to write! Sorry guys! I want to reassure you that this story is very much alive and I enjoy writing it, especially because you are reading it. So keep reading and reviewing! And vote on my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name!**

**~Destiny**


	18. Chapter 17

**Hey! So, yeah. Read and review. 50 reviews! Yay! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed ever! Midnight again! Here we go.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own warriors. Why? Because my name is not Erin Hunter.**

A paw swiped quickly over Midnight's field of vision before it was gone. He reacted quickly, jumping back out of reach and then he lunged for his attacker. His teeth caught on a shoulder, but not deep enough to inflict any injury. The opponent easily twisted out of poor grip, and kicked with a hind leg. Midnight felt pain explode on his chest as the paw struck him and shoved backwards. Coughing, he rose to his paws, and dodged just in time to avoid another attack. He slid beneath the emulator and pushed upward, throwing the attacker off balance. He leaped on top of it and dove for its neck.

When his teeth connected, a crack split the air, followed by a brief, but piercing howl of agony. Blood flowed through the fur of the attacker as its dark eyes glazed over, and its thrashing body fell limp into a heap of russet.

Midnight got up and stepped off of the fox. Jaws and a second Black Horror warrior backed away from their foxes and spat, as they ran away in fear of the cry of their dying companion.

"This camp needs to be better protected," Midnight said, drawing a claw over the belly of the dead fox, forming yet another scar over its broken body. "Before we realize it, the Clans will find us and break in for an attack."

Jaws laughed, an eerie noise that made Midnight's spine tingle. "They may attack but they can't win!"

Midnight shot him a glare that silenced him instantly. "This is no matter to laugh about. This is serious. If they find us, our entire plan is compromised. We won't have the information for finding what matters most to Radiantmask Or her Clan."

The other Black Horror cat flicked his ears. "You know what sir? I am rather confused. The longer we procrastinate with the plan, the more time we are giving the Clans to grow stronger."

Midnight's lips curled into an ugly smile and he padded up to the tom. "Oh how_ thoughtful_ of you to share that with me. But you must think logically. As they become more skilled and cunning, so do we, and with the training I am giving you, we are doing so quicker than those lazy bums." He placed his tail along the tom's shoulders. The cat flinched. "It has been long since Blackstorm led you in an attack anyway. The longer we wait, the more and more safe they will begin to feel. Their mistake." He turned around. "Besides I am 'procrastinating' no longer. I sent somebody out this morning to spy on ShadowClan. He will wait until he has enough information for me to see as useful." He looked back at the two cats. "Clear?"

"I suppose," replied Jaws. "What about that other problem we have?"

Midnight narrowed his eyes into slits. "Fawn..."

"I am surprised you didn't kill her on the spot," hissed Jaws. "If that were my mother, I would have sank my claws deep into her throat and then thrown her onto the Thunderpath, where she would be run over by those monsters a hundred times over."

"Do you question my decision to allow her a den?" Midnight growled.

"Yes."

Midnight threw his head back and laughed. "You know nothing of torturing! She wants the forgiveness of her precious kits who she apparently loved. Well what she is going to get is a lot of waiting. I won't talk to her, look at her, or mention her by name. She will watch who I have become and was destined to be, regretting every moment she treated us like filth."

The other cat snarled, "Why don't you let her die a slow, painful death? Revenge is a meal best served cold...and bloody...and agonizing. And what terror it would bring her to battle her own son?"

Midnight scowled, but his companion was right. "Get back to training."

The two cats smirked and padded off, flicking their tails in satisfaction.

Midnight whirled around to face the camp, where each cat was fighting like they were battling badgers. They were following him. They trusted him to guide them, and if he made a mistake, everything would come crashing down upon them.

He took a step forward, then another, and before he knew it, he was running for a small den at the far edge of the camp. He felt his heart harden into ambition, as he skidded to a halt in front of it. Right away he was face to face with a brown and golden tabby she-cat with light amber eyes that were flooded with disquietude as she met his eyes.

He shouldered past her into the den.

Fawn turned to face him. "Storm, I-"

"My name is not Storm!" Midnight roared, making his mother jump. "And it is not Jasper either. You and Dahlia, or Willow as you remember her, never grasped the fact that I have moved on from both of you!" He shoved his face in hers. "You want me to act like your son? Maybe you should have acted like my mother instead of seeing us as nuisances!"

Fawn finally looked angry for the first time since she found him. "Do you not understand? I was in deep grief for your father! He loved me, and I loved him! Being away from him was like losing a half of my heart!"

"What part of your heart was me and Willow?" he hissed. "We needed you! And our father was a frog-brain to go onto the Thunderpath anyway? How could you be so oblivious?"

"Me?" She spat. "Do you even know what kind of operation you are running? It is nothing but blood and darkness out there and you let it happen! You want it to happen! Did I really pain you so much with my uncontrollable sorrow that you could have transformed into this monster?"

"No," Midnight said plainly. "This has nothing to do with you. I joined to save Willow from these guys, and while I was here, I realized that this is who I am meant to be. And since Blackstorm showed me where I belong, the least I can do his get his revenge on his former Clan!" He narrowed his eyes. "However, it is because of you I was lost in the first place. Thank you, but now I must give you what you deserve. Enough playing around. Words won't hurt you." He swiped a paw over her muzzle. "But claws will."

Fawn widened her eyes in veneration as Midnight crashed into her. She yowled and pushed him away, her claws digging deep into his fur. Midnight stumbled and with a snarl, swiveled to the side and lunged for her shoulders to pin her down. She jumped back and ducked to get under his belly. Midnight felt claws run along his skin. He yelped and reached down, grabbing her by her scruff. He lifted her off of her paws and threw her against the wall of the den. Stunned, she refused to move, which gave him just enough time to grip her by the throat.

"Any last words?" he growled over her fur.

"Wait!" she yowled, voice choked and strained. "Storm, think! I am the last cat you have of your family! Your father was killed by a monster, Willow is gone, and now you are about to snap my neck! I will apologize to you until the day I die, so please don't let it be today!"

Midnight hesitated before speaking again. "You can say your sorry, you can be my slave, but you don't have the power to get me to forgive you. I make my own choices now."

She wailed in loss, and scrambled around, trying desperately to wriggle free of his grasp. But to no avail. With a grunt, he snapped his teeth together. Fawn opened her mouth to shriek, but all that came out was a wave of crimson that splattered against the the ground. Blood the pooled around Midnight's jaws dripped down off of his chin to join in with it. He spat her out of his mouth and she landed in the blood, splashing some of it onto his legs. Her breathing was ragged and uneven and her paws pushed on the ground. Her eyes were so wide Midnight could see the whites of them.

He leaned down beside her ear. "Besides, mother, I don't need you. I have all the company I need right here with my warriors. Good night."

She made no reaction to his words except for a groan of defeat. He knew that she had heard him and that was all he needed to know as she collapsed and lay motionless forever.

**Wow. That was just a little intense. Well now she's dead. What do you think will happen? Review and vote on my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name!**


	19. Chapter 18

**Remember everything that happened last chapter, if you can. A small detail of that is going to take part in this chapter. Keep on reading on reviewing. Thanks to everyone including Silver Sakura-hime and fewfirebolt1. This chapter is going to be pretty important.**

"What?" Smokestar demanded, disbelief covering the surprise in his expression.

"I...heard WindClan...talking about it...with...a RiverClan cat...named...Ravenheart." gasped Sunpaw. "They are thinking of attacking us...and I don't even know."

Pouncefoot's amber gaze gave off an alarmed vibe, but within an I stand it descended into anger. Sunpaw knew he was enraged by the idea that this battle could be because of his own daughter. "Who do they think they are, rogues? What kind of Clan would attack another while it is in chaos?"

Smokestar's fur rose along his spine. "Who looks like they are running the ambush, Sunpaw?" he asked. "Which Clan, at least?"

"Ivystar seems to be the one in charge." Venom touched Sunpaw's words. "But I think that RiverClan could be getting in on it. ThunderClan too...What are we to do?"

"First," snarled Smokestar, "I will alert my Clan of this threat. Then perhaps I will take my warriors and head straight to Ivystar and confront her on this mistake she has made."

Pouncefoot bared his teeth. "I like the way you think, Smokestar."

"Are you two losing your minds?" hissed Sunpaw, which caught both her leader and her father off guard. "You can't just walk up to WindClan and ask them to call off the battle. They have a bigger Clan, and we are their target in the first place anyway. If we go to them, they'll just attack."

Pouncefoot narrowed his eyes in reluctance. "For someone so young, I am surprised at your wisdom. Alright, we won't do that, but what are we supposed to do? Sit and wait in fear for Ivystar and Fishstar to assial us?"

"I don't know," growled Sunpaw. She paced in front of them. "Are we just hopeless at this time?"

"Did you not hear me a moon ago?" wailed Smokestar, which got both Pouncefoot and Sunpaw's gazes snapped onto him. "We are weak. We may fight, but we cannot pull through in victory. Blackstorm has ruined us!"

"There can still be hope!" Pouncefoot argued.

"Is that so, my deputy? If there is _hope,_ why can I not feel it burning? Think, Pouncefoot, think! We have seven warriors, most of our apprentices are four moons old! And we have no medicine cat, just a kit who is not being given the proper training. Against three Clans, in what possible way will we be able to win?"

Pouncefoot's gaze lowered.

Smokestar curled his lips back. "I am going back to camp. Sunpaw, we will try your assessment again at sunhigh tomorrow. Until then..." he didn't continue, just padded off into the forest towards camp, the shade of the pine trees darkening his pelt.

* * *

Pouncefoot and Sunpaw sat up against the trees, each of them trying to think of ways to solve the problem with the ambushes. Sunpaw licked her claws and looked over at her father. "I've got nothing," she said. "What about you?"

He shook his broad head. "No. Of all the times the Clans have been tangled up in a nonsense problems, this is the only time there is not a solution. The Great Journey, we found a new home. The Drought, we went to clear the dam. The Great Battle, we trained and fought back. But this, is a huge problem, and I think what sets it aside from the others, is that it only effects us. If all the Clans were being attacked, we would band together for the sake of StarClan and the warrior code, but now..." his voice trailed off.

Sunpaw padded up to him. "Let's try not to think about it." She didn't speak for a while. "Tell me more about Radiantmask."

Pouncefoot blinked. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything...anything."

"Well," he began. "I was about five moons old when she was born. Me, and the other kits, Emberkit and Sootkit, were always picking on her and her brother for being small at first. Eventually, we began to admire her brother a lot. She never minded that we ignored her, I think she even perferred it that way. She was always pretty quiet. When she became an apprentice, though, it was clear that she was going to be a good warrior. Even though we barely even looked at her, it was easy to see that she excelled in hunting. Her brother got his warrior name about the same time I did with barely two moons of training. Me and the others were always trying to impress him. We most often overlooked Radiantpaw. We talked every once and a while during patrols, but other than that, that was pretty much it. It wasn't until Blackstorm abandoned the Clan, and the Clan abandoned her that I realized how beautiful she was." He looked at Sunpaw. "You both have the same shining green eyes. She was a feisty one, very determined and it occurred to me that she had more spirit in her than we let on when we were younger. I bet you get that from her too. Who ever knew a former kittypet could have a heart so true and pure warrior?"

Sunpaw smiled. "That's nice."

Pouncefoot opened his mouth to speak again, but before he could get any words out, his nose twitched and his jaws snapped shut. His fur rose on end. "Intruder," he whispered.

"Is it another Clan cat?" Sunpaw asked.

"No."

She whipped around, claws unsheathed. "Let me after this one, father. It'll be good practice for me."

"Sunpaw, you don't understand. It's not just any rogue, it's a-"

Before he could finish, she darted away, dirt spraying up from her paws. A shape moved on the horizon line, and disappeared. Sunpaw ran faster. It wasn't long before it came back into view. Her paws thumped against the ground as fast as her heart beat. She peeled her lips back in ready use for her teeth.

The ground sloped upward and Sunpaw started to grow tired. _Keep going, _she urged herself, _you could escape WindClan and ThunderClan back then when you were a kittypet. Now you are a warrior. Run, Sunpaw! Run!_

She started using her claws to help push herself up the hill. She was gaining on the intruder quickly as he began to slow down. The pines thinned out and the hot sunlight was uncomfortable as she ran, but she kept moving, determined to be just like her mother.

_When she was disowned by her Clan, that didn't stop her. I won't let a little heat stop_ me.

Sunpaw launched herself forward on her paws, leaping now after the intruder. She captured more distance.

At last she broke into a huge clearing. When she stopped, she spotted the instrusder just a few tail-lengths off. He was a gray tom. There was a cat next to him, huge and black-furred with cold amber eyes and blood on his muzzle and paws. Her tail drooped and her eyes widened in fear.

"M-midnight...sir," the gray tom gasped. "That-that cat...is...is..."

"What? Spit it out!"

"That cat is Radiantmask's daughter."

The black tom gasped and looked at Sunpaw. "You, are the daughter of the dead ShadowClan warrior, Radiantmask?" he asked, the cruelty in his eyes changing into utter shock.

Sunpaw nodded slightly.

Midnight breathed deeply. After a moment of silence he threw back his head and emitted a deafening yowl. An eerie laugh pierced the air and he looked at her. "Behold, Black Horror, Radiantmask's daughter, right here at her camp!"

Sunpaw just then noticed the huge congregation of cats behind him.

"And, you," he said quieter. "Do you know what you have done? Tell me."

The gray tom shrunk back. "I brought an outsider to our camp, exposing her to our secrets and plots. That said...I have broken your rule."

Midnight nodded and turned around to his group. "Did you hear that, my cats? Another one to be buried along with Fawn!"

_Fawn?_ thought Sunpaw, recognizing the name. She thought back to when the tabby had come to ShadowClan territory in search of her lost kits. _One of them was Tigerspirit, and the other was a black tom with light amber...eyes..._

Midnight stuck his face inches from the gray tom's face. "Watch this, my warriors, and perhaps you will learn a thing or two about breaking my rules." As swift as a snake, Midnight's head snapped forward and his teeth grasped the throat of the gray tom. He shrieked in horror as blood began to pour from his wounds. A heartbeat later, a snap echoed in Sunpaw's ears and the tom fell limp.

Midnight spat him out. "Now to deal with you," he growled to Sunpaw.

Before he could move, a shape burst from the trees. Sunpaw realized it was Pouncefoot in seconds. "You," he screeched.

"Pouncefoot," Midnight greeted. "I see you have found our camp. As did your daughter. What might bring you here?"

"I wish to take no part in your sick games," he hissed. "You are weak anyway from when we last saw you. There is no way you can defeat ShadowClan."

"Oh? May I remind you, that it has been seven moons since then. We have gotten stronger." Midnight flexed his already unsheathed claws.

"Go ahead, kill me," snarled Pouncefoot. "Just leave Sunpaw and ShadowClan alone."

"Oh, I can't kill you now. What fun would that be?" asked Midnight innocently. "It would be better to do it when both Radiantmask and Blackstorm are watching us, now wouldn't it?"

"If you are suggesting you are going to attack again, then that was a mistake. I am taking my daughter and we are going back to our camp, where I will tell my Clan every word that just came out of your mouth."

"If I were you, I would not do that," Midnight jeered. "Because if you did, I will know, and I might just launch my plan sooner...when your daughter is still an apprentice...and inexperianced...and has the better chance to die."

Pouncefoot swallowed. "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave us alone."

Midnight shrugged suit yourself then. Sunpaw here will just have to die...right now." He snapped his teeth together.

Pouncefoot leaped back and grabbed Sunpaw's scruff. She flew back with him.

"Leave," Midnight yowled, his group of cats joining in. "And do not think about returning! You have been warned! ShadowClan has been warned!"

**OMZ! Now Sunpaw has discovered Midnight! What will she do? Review if you want more chapters to find out!**

**Vote on my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name.**

**~Destiny**


	20. Chapter 19

**I hope you like this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own warriors. But I promise you, if I did Tigerstar, Brokenstar, and Hawkfrost would have never existed and Firestar would live forever.**

Sunpaw tossed and turned in her nest, ignoring the bracken that poked at her flank. It rustled beneath her, and Mousepaw and Tigerpaw kept kicking at her telling her to settle down and go to sleep. She had started to notice personalities in the two despite their young ages. Mousepaw was loud and obnoxious at times, but she was unusually patient for someone who would still be a kit if not for the desperate measures ShadowClan was enduring. Tigerpaw was silent, but he had a vain personality, that made Sunpaw want to claw him in the nose sometimes.

She finally grew tired and fell limp, her only movements being the panting breath that rattled her flank. She shut her eyes and opened them repeatedly, not able to find the peaceful state to keep them closed and in ready for a long, dreamless night. She didn't think that she couldn't sleep, but she didn't _want_ to. If she were to fall into sleep, then it could provoke an unwanted nightmare.

_Midnight._

The black tom with those terrible amber eyes. He much resembled Radiantmask's brother Blackstorm, whom she had seen when she had first met her mother. There was a striking difference past their towering size and night-black fur. Blackstorm's eyes were yellow instead of amber, and even though the time she saw him was short, Sunpaw was certain that his evil greater. But it wasn't just about of agony and pain he could have suffered, no it was pure, like he was born with a black heart and a dark soul. Midnight's evil was of realization of pain he had suffered in his past, she knew.

The Black Horror: the group of wretched cats once led by her uncle, and vanquished temporarily by her mother. What shame she has brought upon them, and their decisions they made to allow their hearts to burn with anger? It was only acceptable that they would wish for revenge on her, even though she has joined the ranks of StarClan, and is weak among them. They wish for the memory of that brave heroine to be lost from minds of all cats as long as the sun may shine and the wind may blow. And after thinking she understood that there were too many of them to have all come from the Clans. They have joined the Black Horror in seeking for a purpose, and now that their leader has been killed and off to rot in an endless rotting forest known as the Place of No Stars, then what way was there to stop their passion?

Midnight, for a reason she had not yet discovered, had taken up the leader position and has come up with the idea of revenge that had pleased them so much. As they stood behind him, when he killed that gray tom, their eyes were filled with wild rage, but also delight to see one perish in such a violent way. Midnight, while he had shared the pleasure in his dark gaze, was much more calm about it, like it was regular with him for his claws and teeth to sink into another's exposed throat. He struck Sunpaw as, though cruel, the best leader for those wild and lawless cats he had to follow in his pawsteps.

_Fawn._

The cat who could only be the mother of Tigerspirit, with her uniquely patterned pelt and and fiery amber eyes. She had said that she had gone in search of her kits and apologize to them after the trouble she had caused them. But their were supposedly two kits, for she called for Willow _and _Storm.

It struck Sunpaw as strange that Midnight could have known Fawn's name if he had not asked her for it. That was a possibility, yes. It could be that Midnight could have asked for her name, in search for more information on her. Perhaps she had later angered him and he had simply gone after her and killed her to relieve his twisted emotions. That was for sure in her mind, one theory. But in other explainations, it wouldn't add up to her. If her had not asked for her name than they must have met before, but why hold off his rage until they would meet again?

Sunpaw suddenly sat up in her nest, ready to claw herself in the ears. How could she have ever looked it over before hand? The answer was right in front of her curious, apprentice gaze the entire moment! What fool she was to not see that Midnight was, so to speak, Storm! Had she been so empty-minded she had forgotten Fawn's chilling message in her words when they first met? She was looking for Willow, who was a she-cat that looked exactly like her, and Storm, _a black-furred tom with amber eyes!_

She fell back upon the moss and bracken under her. Two thoughts a occurred to her in the next few heart-beats that were sure to haunt her for at least a few moons.

First of all, what kind of sick, twisted soul would ever feel the craving to murder his own mother? She had said herself that she had caused them trouble after their father had died, but who was he to hold such a grudge for the time in between?

_Evil cats, _Sunpaw thought, _That's who._

The second thing, was what trailed behind her for over a moon now, the haunting words of her fading mother as she slept after being rescued by her own father-she was foolish to overlook the resenmblence in their pelts. Her mother had given her warnings of what she saw along Sunpaw's path to destiny. The first thing she had mentioned was to beware of a figure from two cats' past, who would give her a slight answer. She had, but rather than slight, it was rather significant. She had shown her, or at least had mentioned, what she was facing in the battle to save ShadowClan and the rest of them from doom.

Now what would become of the future now that she knew that her journey was just beginning to start? She would begin to notice the other warnings Radiantmask had spoken of. A mistake among their hope of strength, her heart flowing in a river. That one frightened her the most. Would her life be lost in the churning waters that would later empty her out into the lake as she began her quest to StarClan? She silently hissed in effort not to disturb her denmates but Mousepaw did stir a little.

Sunpaw sighed. Things weren't going to be easy from here on out.

**I know, shorter than my usual chapters, but I hope it did get your thoughts racing. I can't wait to continue on with this. Please review and vote on my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name!**

**~Destiny**


	21. Chapter 20

**Okay, in this chapter there is action. The last chapter probably bored you because it was just Sunpaw thinking. It was a filler chapter. This one should be more interesting. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, if I did I would tell you, honest!**

A high-pitched yowl, snapped Sunpaw out of her dozing. Her head snapped up to face the entrense of the apprentice den. The milky dawn sky gaze just enough light for her to see what was happening. Several pairs of eyes glimmered with hatred through the slight darkness, and figures that were clearly cats swarmed into the camp. Sunpaw heard Mousepaw whimper beside her.

"It's an attack!" she hissed.

Tigerpaw raced up beside her, eyes wide with a mixture of anticipation and fear. Mousepaw seemed outright afraid of the much bigger cats that could kill her probably just by stepping on her. Sunpaw felt sympathy for the kits.

"Don't worry," she soothed. "You don't have to fight if you don't want to. Just stay and here and out of sight, so that the bigger warriors don't see you as-"

Tigerpaw cut her off. "Are you joking, Sunpaw? I want to fight! Our first battle and we are only four moons old! That will be a great story to tell _our_ kits when we are older warriors!" He gave a laugh that made Sunpaw's whiskers twitch in amusement.

"I don't know," she said, feeling more serious. "They are three times your size. It would be dangerous for you to go out there."

"But we trained," he shot back. "We know just as many battle move as you do. Since when does size matter anyway?"

Before she could say anything, Tigerpaw shot from the den, brushing past her shoulder. Mousepaw hesitantly followed, moving slower than him at first, but once she made it a few tail lengths outside, she broke into a sprint.

Sunpaw ran outside to the battle, both to search for the young apprentices and attack a heartless WindClan warrior. Her eyes stretched wide in surprise. She had expected a whole Clan to be after them. But what there was, was actually ten or eleven cats and they were from different Clans. Most of them were WndClan, for the scent of rabbits and grass was the strongest. But there must-be been one or two cats that were RiverClan and ThinderClan. She even recognized Blackfire, ThunderClan's deputy amongst the group.

Smokestar was rolling around with Ivystar in a flurry of snapping teeth. Cloudwind and Curvefang were battling side by side at three large toms. Soottail was being pinned by a RiverClan she-cat, Furledwhisker was leaping at a WindClan warrior.

Sunpaw launched herself through the crowd, trying to find the apprentices. A ThunderClan she-cat lunged for her, but she dodged and kept running. If they were to be harmed, then ShadowClan will have no warriors for a long time, and when she did pass her assessment, things would be no different than they were then. Plus Scarletfur, would be horrified to find that her kits were drowned in a pool of their own blood.

At long last, she spotted the ginger fur of Tigerpaw and the light gray pelt of Mousepaw standing in front of a WindClan apprentice. He was bigger than Sunpaw, but appeared to be the same age. In his eyes, there was confusion. He was murmuring something to them. As Sunpaw crept closer, a scowl formed on his face and he snarled, "If it weren't against the warrior code, I would shred you two right now. Go find your mother, kits!"

"We aren't kits!" protested Mousepaw, rearing up on her hind legs. "We are apprentices!"

The tom snorted. "Yeah, and hedgehogs fly. Go away, now!"

Tigerpaw hissed and reached up, slashing his claws across the apprentice's nose. Blood dripped onto the ground and the apprentice jumped back in surprise. When he recovered, his eyes slanted and he raised a paw, claws unsheathing and glinting in the faint dawn light. Sunpaw didn't wait for anything else to happen. She ran and leaped in front of Tigerpaw and Mousepaw just as claws slashed across her side. She screeched in agony as blood pulsed from her wound. When she landed, the apprentices yelped and scattered into the battle to torment some more warriors.

The WindClan apprentice, curled his lips back and placed his paw over Sunpaw's shoulder, pinning her vigorously to the ground. "I guess I should thank you for preventing me from hurting those to pests," he growled. "Killing a couple of kits won't do you ShadowClan softies any good."

"Softies?" demanded Sunpaw, ignoring the throbbing pain in her flank. "Tell me, you rabbit-eating frog-brain, is this soft?" She pushed herself up, and twisted to her paws, and the apprentice lost his grip on her shoulder. As he stumbled she kicked her back leg out and struck him hard on the neck. He gagged and flew backward, landing in a cloud of dust from the ground. Sunpaw whirled and lunged for him, sinking her claws into his hind leg. Blood oozed from the scars she made, and he winced in pain, still coughing from the impact on his neck. She pinned down his shoulders and kept her hind paws on his legs to keep him from getting up. She aimed blows to his ears, and only stopped when he spoke again.

"Hey, you are the kittypet from the Gathering, aren't you?" he growled, voice hoarse.

She nodded. "Call me what you want, but am I a kittypet right now? Am I wearing a colar? Am I in the arms of a Twoleg? No, I am fighting you, and it looks like, this so called 'kittypet' is beating you."

The apprentice struggled but he could barely fidget under her firm grasp. Only when he lay panting did she let go.

"Go crawl back to your medicine cat and get some cobwebs already," she snarled. "You are a disgrace to your Clan here."

The apprentice coughed one last time and fled.

Sunpaw stared after him, studying his brown and white fur. _Hmm..._

Before she could allow her thoughts to go any further, a cry shook the camp. Sunpaw searched the area, trying to find a Clanmate in danger. She saw a flash of dark ginger fur and realized that Scarletfur was cornered by two cats. She was horribly wounded; a cut ran from her shoulder, half way down her foreleg, and blood splattered the ground where she stood. Sunpaw raced over and sank her teeth into one of the cat's leg. He yowled in pain and tried to shake her off. Before she could lose her grip, another cat crashed into him and all three of them went tumbling. Sunpaw felt fangs dig into her scruff and she was lifted off of the tom. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pouncefoot attack the tom. Before he could really harm him though, a low yowl racked her ears and the amushers fled, leaving the camp within heart beats.

"Is that it?" Cloudwind asked. "Did we win?"

Smokestar parted his jaws to answer, but before he could, another battle cry sounded, and more cats ran into the camp. Sunpaw thought is was strange that they would leave and come right back, until she noticed that every cat this time was different, and most of them were ThunderClan, led by Cherrystar. Sunwide gaped when she realized what was happening. "They are sending in new warriors with all of their energy so that the others could rest. We are exhausted and wounded," she said to Pouncefoot.

"I know," he replied sorrowfully, "I know."

ShadowClan plunged back into battle. Sunpaw felt the sudden urge to sink her claws into Cherrystar's throat. She couldn't believe what they were doing, it was like they were at their strongest attempt to drive them out. That would be unwise...wouldn't it?

She didn't know what to think. Part of her wanted to scream to the early morning sky and run, she didn't know where, just anywhere but there. She had gone too far to go back home. The other part of her wanted to fight until every hair on her pelt was drifting through the air and her name was but a memory. The time she was there was short, but even though a silent voice within her was screaming at her to flee and leave it all behind, she would never leave her camp, not unless she was in pieces on the cold hard ground.

She was right. This was not easy. It had been only hours since she had came to that realization, but it had already come to effect. She was having trouble remembering her knowledge of her battle training because thoughts of her destiny and the prophecy, and Radiantmask pushed it away like it was no longer significant. Enemies kept landing blows and with each moment gone by her eyes grew heavier and heavier, and her legs were like they were made of honey.

"Sunpaw!" Pouncefoot called to her, after striking a RiverClan tom across the nose. "Go to Strompaw! He will help you! We will handle everything!"

She ignored him. She didn't want to give up. A tortoiseshell she-cat hissed at her and leaped at her flank. Before she could make a scratch, Sunpaw maneuvered to the side, so she barely missed and bit down hard into the tortoiseshell's shoulder while clinging onto her back with thorn sharp claws. For a long time, she just remained there, almost like to catch her breath, and the position she was in was to an advantage in which the larger warrior couldn't reach to attack back.

At last, Sunpaw grew tired of the tortoiseshell's fidgeting so she dropped down and tackled the she-cat to the ground. During the brief moment that she had her down, she took a claw and slit open her belly. The tortoiseshell screeched as blood poured from her wound and jumped up, swiping at Sunpaw and getting her in the head before turning and fleeing the camp, drops of blood fish showing her path.

Until the late morning, Sunpaw fought. Many times over, a new group of attackers came to replace the last. Smokestar had lived up to his vow, he didn't surrender to them. They would fight until they fell. The kits stepped out after the second wave, tired up running around and being treated like kits that belonged in the nursery. Scarletfur was unable to continue after her fatal wound in the shoulder, who Stormpaw used almost all of his cobwebs on. Sunpaw knew he would do what he could to keep his mother alive.

_If only I was old enough to protect my own mother, _Sunpaw thought as she slashed down a tom's nose, _then I wouldn't be in this mess._

If this battle is just against the other three Clans, than she couldn't imagine what the battle would be like against The Black Horror. Midnight and his gang had muscles that rippled like lake water on a windy leaf-fall day. They could last days it seemed.

As the day wound into the afternoon, Sunpaw noticed Ivystar atop a tree that shaded the camp. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion. She looked over the camp until she must have reached into each cats' soul. At long last, she yowled and the fighting stopped.

"WindClan," she called, voice drowned in disappointment. "Retreat."

"ThunderClan," Cherrystar said next, "Retreat."

"RiverClan," Fishstar hissed angerly. "Let us not waste are time with these ShadowClan warriors who are not worth it."

Sunpaw knew he was trying hard to conceal his defeat.

The camp began to empty quickly. Cats began to reluctantly follow their leaders, shooting glares at ShadowClan as they passed. Sunpaw sneered at a young RiverClan apprentice as he padded by her.

Triumph bubbled in her veins and her lost energy coarser through her veins. But then she looked around. Cloudwind white fur had turned red and cuts covered her flank. Furledwhisker and many other warriors were collapsed and panting on the ground. Smokestar's legs buckled as he lost consciousness and fell to sleep. Even Pouncefoot was horribly wounded.

She gazed at her own battered up body. Blood was caked in her fur and dripped from her paws as she walked.

Perhaps they had lost the battle, but they lost the fight.

**Well there you have it! A little action in this story finally! Please tell me what you think in a review! Almost sixty, yay!**

**Vote on my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name**

**~Destiny**


	22. Chapter 21

**Hey dedicated readers. I honestly have no idea how long this story is going to be, but it has to last through Sunpaw's apprenticeship. So seriously, any ideas out there, at all please PM them to me, and I will give a shout out to you. Promise. Enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors and blah, blah, blah. Let's just get on with the story!**

Sunpaw felt searing pain course through her muzzle as claws stabbed her beside the nose. She yowled in frustration and lunged for Tigerpaw, who dodged like he was eluding an attacking mouse. He faked a yawn and swiped through the air, and his claws struck her on her chin a d she stumbled backwards, giving him another chance to land a third blow, this time on the foreleg, which then buckled from the impact and she fell on her chest, her leg awkwardly sprawled out in front of her.

"I submit," she muttered.

Tigerpaw gave her a smug look and turned around to head back to his mentor. Curvefang praised him and went on instructing him on some more helpful attacking tips. Sunpaw rose to her paws, sighing. She winced as pain shot up her legs as she walked back to Pouncefoot. A moon had passed since the battle against the other three Clans, and since then, Smokestar had ordered extra training sessions for every cat in the Clan. There was barely any time to hunt anymore because of the work she was now required to do, and hunger gnawed at her belly, distracting her with every rumble. And if that wasn't enough, her bones ached from the constant maneuvering and leaping to attack, which slowed her down horribly.

Tigerpaw and Mousepaw on the other paw, seemed to be doing just fine. Mousepaw's ears reached to the top of Sunpaw's head now, and Tigerpaw had grown larger than her in just a half moon, and was beginning to show great skill in fighting now, which was good in the sight of the Clan, but it made Sunpaw hot with jealousy that she, at eight moons of age couldn't beat a five moon old kit. And whenever he or Mousepaw beat her or landed one blow after another, they acted like they had just killed a whole pack of foxes. And it wasn't only them either. Furledwhisker continued on with his despise of her, and always brought up how his apprentice was better than her at fighting whenever she walked by him. And before she could throw a retort at him, Pouncefoot would call for her and she would leave knowing that she could never best the ginger warrior.

Sunpaw sat beside her father, who licked her ear. "What is wrong?" he asked. "You seem really slow and down lately."

"I'm fine," she snapped. "There's just a lot on my mind right now."

Pouncefoot stared at her for a moment. After a few heartbeats, he looked up and called, "Let's have the apprentices rest," he mewed. "Curvefang and Furledwhisker, you two will face each other now." The two warriors padded onto the grass. "Ready...begin!"

Furledwhisker was the first to move, speeding forward and crashing into Curvefang. The older tom yowled and landed hard on the ground. Furledwhisker hissed and slashed across his nose. Sunpaw winced at his intensity. Curvefang leaped up and ducked as Furledwhisker attempted to throw another blow his way. As his paw flew over his head, Curvefang snapped his jaws over the ginger tom's foreleg and butted his head into his chest, refusing to let go, as Furledwhisker staggered back. His fur tore from his leg and he screeched in pain. Curvefang them sank his teeth into his shoulder, shaking him to the ground.

Pouncefoot rushed forward. "Stop!" he yowled, stepping between the battling toms. They backed up. Pouncefoot looked around from Curvefang, to Furledwhisker to the apprentices. "I do not know what has been going on today, but this is definatley not how battle training is supposed to go. What happened to sheathed claws? We are here to practice our skills, not make one another bleed to death. Speaking of which, Furledwhisker, you should go to Stormpaw to check out that wound on your shoulder. I bet-"

"No," snarled the warriors, as he licked his wound. "I am not going to go to a kit for help. It is not bad. See? I am perfectly fine." He shot a glare at Curvefang. "You better watch out when you sleep, you no-good, fox-hearted-"

"Enough!" Pouncefoot spat. "Stop acting like enemies. We are all ShadowClan, let's act like it. Furledwhisker, go get that wound treated right now, or I am going to make it worse. Curvefang, you and Tigerpaw shoulder get a little hunting done. Mousepaw, go back to camp with your mentor. I swear, it is like I am working with kits."

_You are, _Sunpaw thought.

Once everyone left the training area, it was Sunpaw and Pouncefoot that were left alone.

The brown and white deputy sighed, sitting and closing his eyes to relieve his mind of the stress he had probably gained from what had just taken place. "I don't know why those two can't behave like warriors, and at the first time to. WindClan and the others are sure to attack again, and we need to stand together if we are going to overcome them."

"And the other thing too..." Sunpaw added.

Pouncefoot blinked, then a look of recognition flickered across his face. "Yes," he replied soberly, "That too." He licked a paw and swiped it across his muzzle. Then he stopped and looked at her. "Sunpaw," he began. "I think it is about time I should take you to the Moonpool, so you can speak with StarClan before he become a warrior."

"Really?" Sunpaw said. She wanted to talk with Radiantmask and Tigerspirit. "Okay! Tonight."

Pouncefoot nodded. "Tonight."

* * *

Sunpaw padded along the shoreline of the lake, the soft ground quieting her pawsteps. The sun was just vanishing beneath the horizon and was now just simply an orange rim across the sky. Above her head, it was dark purple and silver stars just barely twinkled down upon them.

Her head swiveled side to side constantly, afraid that if they were to be seen by a ThunderClan warrior, that they would be crow-food. She feared that they were at the ShadowClan camp right then, bracing their legs for another surprise attack.

Pouncefoot walked with her. Though his expression appeared calm, his shoulders were tense. He kept making a strange clicking noise from the inside of his mouth. Sunpaw wanted to tell him to stop, but couldn't find the courage to speak. Someone might hear them.

Time moved like it was wading through a lake of honey, and Sunpaw wasn't sure if they would ever make it, but eventually the delicate sound of trickling water touched her ears. Pouncefoot led her up to a few bushes. He looked at her excitedly and she did the same, and they slipped underneath the bushes.

Sunpaw gaped, what was before her was simple, yet so breath-taking. A gray stone wall, stretched high above them and seemed to scrape the night sky. A thin stream of water ran down from the top, maintaining the same, smooth line. It fell so perfectly into a deep, clear pool, that shimmered and shone with the moon's light. She could only imagine the significance it held beneath it's starlit surface.

Pouncefoot stopped. "Okay, go lay down and lap at the water. Before you know it, you will be speaking with StarClan."

Sunpaw nodded and slowly walked up to the pool. She lowered herself to the soft grass and touched the water with her nose. It was so cold, she almost withdrew, but instead she stuck her tongue out and took a few small drinks. Almost immediately, her eyes fell closed and she drifted off from the world around her.

Her eyes snapped open. Her surroundings were bleary. Blinking, she rose to her paws and tasted the air. Sunpaw stretched her eyes wide and gagged. The scent wasn't sweet smelling or rich with prey or anything; it was thick and putrid, tainted with the overwhelming odor of blood and decay. Fighting back, another breath, she observed the area.

Wherever she was, it wasn't StarClan.

The ground wasn't luchious and green like it was in StarClan, it was brown and muddy, with barely a few patches of yellow grass that was matted down against the rocky dirt. Thick fog rolled over the ground and it was impossible to see beyond ten tail lengths. Beside her was a dead tree that rose so high that she couldn't see any branches. Not a single cat was seen.

A growl sounded behind her, so low and menacing, Sunpaw dare not turn around until it rang out again. Ever so slowly, she spun, afraid of what she could see.

Two bright yellow eyes shone through the gray fog and a cat's body was outlined around it. Sunpaw backed up several paces. The cat stepped forward after her. "Do not move," it hissed in a clear tom's voice. "Or I will slit your throat and steal your heart...Sunpaw."

"How do you know my name?" Sunpaw demanded, voice shaking. "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" the tom echoed, voice shaken by a terrible laugh-worse than Midnight's. "You must've heard my name many a time by now, from your Clan...from your mother."

"How do you know my mother?" hissed Sunpaw. "Show yourself!"

"Gladly."

The tom stepped out of the fog. Sunpaw struggled to keep herself from running away. After a heartbeat, a huge black tom with dark yellow eyes stood directly in front of her. She swallowed.

"If you had not realized, which I am assuming you did, this is not StarClan. You are in the Dark Forest. As the Black Horror gets stronger, so do we, and now, I have found the way to interfere with the barrier that seperates us. I even have gained enough strength to mess with their most sacred place within the Clans. And how did I manage you ask? Because the Clans are more divided than ever, and along with them goes StarClan, if all four Clans are not united, StarClan cannot be either."

"What do you want with them? What do you want with me? What do you want with Radiantmask?"

"Radiantmask?" bellowed the tom. "Have you really not priced it together? Radiantmask destroyed me! And therefore I will destroy her. Behold, you so called 'Blazing Sun', I am Blackstorm, brother of Radiantmask, the savior of ShadowClan, and your worst nightmare."

"Blackstorm," Sunpaw breathed. Fear burned in her heart. "Let me out of here! Help me, somebody help me!"

"Do you think StarClan can here you here?" roared Blackstorm. "Do you think you can escape me? I have haunted your mother's dreams, and now I am to haunt yours. This is a warning, kit, a warning to you and to all of your Clan, the Black Horror is coming, and as it gets closer they get stronger. You were the one chosen by StarClan to stop them, so you are the only one that stands in our way. You escaped me once as a kit, but I will allow it to happen no longer. Midnight has suffered deep pain throughout his life, he will be a perfect leader for the Black Horror. I warn you Sunpaw, things will never be the same."

"I don't worry," she lied. "We can band together to beat you."

"Really?" Blackstorm asked. "What about the other Clans? They will eat crow-food and battle monsters before they listen and help ShadowClan out. Keep that in mind, Blazing Sun. I hope you realize that the challenges you face will be harder to overcome than you realize."

"Why don't you just kill me now?" growled Sunpaw, "Then, you heartless rats could defeat ShadowClan with no problem. Are you a frog-brain to overlook that?"

"Hardly," snarled Blackstorm, his voice booming across the dead forest and shredding Sunpaw's ears with the pure madness and hatred that resided with in it. "It will be a joy to watch as you suffer along your path. And when Pouncefoot realizes that he lost the only thing he has left to us, that will be an extra treat." Blackstorm sliced his claws through the air, making Sunpaw flinch. "It was not too long ago that I was weak like a half-starved sparrow, and now the darkness will become so superior, that not even the most blinding of lights will be able to stop me, and what I have created." He blinked at Sunpaw and then sneered, "If you were to even think about conquering us with a better army, ha, I'd like to see you try. You won't even admit your destiny to your father, so I wouldn't expect your Clan to follow a former _kittypet."_

_"_I will do what I can to prove myself to them," Sunpaw said, "If it means saving my mother."

"Your mother is beyond your help," hissed Blackstorm. "Her well-being is in my paws now. You can try, Sunpaw, but if I were in your paws, I would focus on what is actually_ alive._"

Sunpaw emitted a growl.

Blackstorm smiled at her frustration. "Watch out, Sunpaw. Beware of everything and everyone, you'll never know when things could take an ugly turn."

"I think they already have," Sunpaw retorted.

Blackstorm chortled. "You ammuse me. Have a safe trip back."

And he was gone.

**So finally, Sunpaw has met Blackstorm. I wonder what will happen now that she has been warned of the dangers she now faces. Tell me what you think! And I might just give you a plushie!**

**Vote on my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name!**

**~Destiny**


	23. Chapter 22

**I haven't been getting a lot of reviews lately, so I just want you to know, that I do really want them from you and everybody elseThat his chapter is a filler. Probably gonna be short...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, if I did, there would be no reason for me to write this story or any story at all.**

Sunpaw limped into the medicine cat den, trying as hard as she could not wince at every step she took. She had treaded on a thorn while out training, yet again. It stung horribly and agony would flare up her entire leg if she put her weight down heavily.

She slipped through the brambles to the medicine cat den. Cloudwind was instructing Stormpaw on whitecough and greencough. When she spotted Sunpaw, she stopped speaking. "Greetings," she said, dipping her head. "What can Stormpaw do you for?"

Sunpaw sat and held up her injured paw. "I stepped on a thorn."

Cloudwind smiled and nudged Stormpaw over to Sunpaw. "Okay, Stormpaw. What do you do?"

The gray tom peered at Sunpaw's pad and blinked. He bent his head down and very slowly, closed his teeth over the tip of the thorn. Sunpaw left the surface of one of his fangs slide over her pad. Storm swiftly pulled out the thorn, leaving a tinge of agony. "Lick it," he commanded. Sunpaw had never heard him speak. His voice had the high ring of a kit, but it rasped too, like his throat was clouded.

Sunpaw obeyed. She tasted a slight hint of blood as her tongue ran over her cut. She swallowed.

"Now..." Urged Cloudwind.

"Now...oh! Yes, of course," Stormpaw murmured, scanning the den. "Uh...dock? No, we need to prevent infection. Would marigold do, Cloudwind?"

The white warrior nodded.

As Stormpaw began chewing the plant, Sunpaw looked at Cloudwind. She paused her licking. "You seem so good at this. Why aren't you medicine cat?"

She shrugged. "My destiny lies in the life of a warrior. Besides, I don't know everything, and this Clan needs a young cat to do their work. I am the eldest cat who has not yet retired, even older than Smokestar. Had there not been an attack by the other Clans, might I have began to think about it."

Sunpaw's pad stung as Stormpaw rubbed it with the marigold poultice."How will Stormpaw become the proper medicine the Clan needs if you cannot teach him all there is to know?"

"The rest is up to StarClan," Cloudwind replied simply. Her voice became heavy with doubt, "That is, of course, if they are still watching over us."

It was Stormpaw who spoke next. "Why would they not? I understand that we are of little strength, but be logical. StarClan wouldn't give up on us, just because we have few warriors, right?"

Sunpaw was surprised someone as young as him, would feel consern over the problem they are having. Cloudwind blinked at him, clearly unable to answer as well.

"I wish you could teach me how to read signs from StarClan. Mousepaw and Tigerpaw will be so jealous! They'd wish they were in my paws. When we were younger they often teased me for being the small one." Stormpaw's voice began to grow distant. "As a matter of fact, mother thought with no hesitation that I should be the medicine cat. I am starting to worry that she never liked me as much as the others, that she thought I was the weak one."

"Don't be silly, Stormpaw," Cloudwind said, flicking her tail on his shoulder, "She is very proud of you for taking this job. It would be a pretty hard thing, training at a time like this. And, hey! You treated the Clan when the other Clans attacked!"

"You helped me," he muttered.

"Yes," Cloudwind admitted, "But that does not mean you did not do a good job. I am proud of you. I hear Smokestar is praising you while speaking to your mother, Mousepaw is very grateful for helping her when she had whitecough those last couple days, Scarletfur wouldn't be alive today if it weren't for your quick thinking with those cobwebs..."

"And you made my paw all better," Sunpaw added, holding it for him to see. "It doesn't even hurt anymore!"

A slight smile touched Stormpaw's lips, but he refused to meet their eyes. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"How about you work on sorting that pile of leaves over there?" Suggested Cloudwind. "I would like to speak with Sunpaw."

The gray tom obeyed, bounding over to a stack of herbs in the far corner of the den. Cloudwind led Sunpaw outside.

They sat beside the Speaking Oak. Cloudwind smiled warmly at Sunpaw. "How is your training going?" she asked kindly.

The question threw Sunpaw off guard. "Uh...great!"

"Good, good," the white she-cat said, looking off into the distance. "Stormpaw is a very fast learner and he has an amazing attention span and interest in this work, which is unusual for a kit. He hardly complains, but he does tell me much about his anxiety with his mother."

"Hm..." Sunpaw mused. "I am sure she loves him. What mother wouldn't?"

Cloudwind looked at her. Her gaze was sharp like shards of ice digging into Sunpaw's flesh. The white warrior looked her up and down, quizzically, like she had answered her completely wrong. "Sunpaw," she began, voice shakily calm. "There is much to speak of. There is much you don't know. I have told you just minutes ago that I am the oldest warrior, so there is much I could teach you."

"There is a lot that everyone doesn't know," Sunpaw responded. "Why should that make a difference here? I am really tired right now, so I'd rather not-"

"I know who your mother is."

The statement took Sunpaw so off guard that she staggered. "What?" she asked.

"Radiantmask is your mother," Cloudwind hissed, sounding more angry that Sunpaw could have expected. "You aren't a kittypet after all! You never even mentioned it to us that you knew. Don't lie to me, I know it is true, and I know Pouncefoot told you. It was obvious they gave you up to protect you from Blackstorm and the rest of those blasted rogues. Two other warriors, Sleekfur and Dogtooth-who died- knew it just as well as I. The rest of the Clan was too ignorant on fear to see it the way we did."

"Why are you upset?" asked Sunpaw stepping backwards clumsily to get away from the she-cat.

"Because," Cloudwind spat bitterly, "You are a target for those who have survived the battle. You are putting the entire Clan in danger just by your presense. Can you imagine the horror you have brought upon the Clan by returning? We are short in numbers, weak at heart, I have no problem admitting it, and now you have guaranteed a painful and dark fall for ShadowClan."

"It is not my fault who I am!" snapped Sunpaw, surprising Cloudwind. "I have come back because I belong here. I never meant you or anyone harm."

Cloudwind showed her teeth. "You never should have left your Twoleg nest. What a _stupid_ kit you are!"

"Go tell the Clan!" Sunpaw snarled. "They would never believe that is true! Why do you think Pouncefoot keeps his mouth shut? Don't you think that he is overwhelmingly excited for me to have returned? But no, he is on the brink of madness, and speaking of my true identity will ruin him more than losing his mate already has."

Cloudwind averted her gaze for just a moment before returning her furious look. "Watch it kit. You have made enemies, and they are just within your own Clan! I can't wait until you get to know warriors from other Clans better. You may have the warrior blood in your veins, but you are still a soft kittypet! I _promise you, _from the very bottom of my soul, the only way to get through this is to watch your back!"

**Oh my god, that was the worst chapter ever, I admit it. Go ahead write it out in a review, I know how stupid that was. I don't want to revise it though. It already took me so long to write it out. I have a lot of homework and stuff.**

**Vote on my frickin pole already for Sunpaw's warrior name! I need more votes! Meh!**

**~Destiny**


	24. Chapter 23

**I still cannot get over how terrible that last chapter was. Like, that is how bad I have writer's block right now, I made a terrible chapter. Blah! This one should be at least remotely better, somehow. My friend, Sofia Celesteana suggested this so, thank you to her, go check out her profile, and please review!**

The next few moons went by quickly for Sunpaw, something which she was grateful for, but worries for the future poisoned her thoughts, and left her praying that everything be a dream. She almost felt as though she wanted to go back to Amy and curl up in sleep on her legs forever. She has now made two enemies within her Clan. Furledwhisker, was still being a jerk. Constantly he found a way to criticize whatever it was she was doing. He ordered her around more than his own apprentice, and sat back, watching with a sick smirk on his face, her frustration.

And then there was Cloudwind. While Furledwhisker was more of a nuisance, the white she-cat seemed as if she was planning some sort of awful revenge for putting the Clan in danger at their weakest time. Her hate was not public, just an icy, personnel feeling. The way she glared at Sunpaw, left her itching to run and hide, and if not soon, something was going to happen to haunt Sunpaw for the rest of her life. She made sure that she and Cloudwind were never alone together.

There was, of course the other things that raced through her mind besides what just lied in her Clan. Midnight's venomous words were permanently enclosed in her mind, echoing and searing her with worry throughout the nights.

Also piled up on top of that were the other Clans. Smokestar had refused to attend any Gatherings until Ivystar called off the unreasonable war between them. Sunpaw would give anything to know why they have decided to attack them in the first place, because her being the main target didn't add up in any way. It troubled Smokestar so much as well, his muzzle was now dotted with silver and his paw steps were weary. Not to mention the grudge Scarletfur was holding against him for making their kits apprentice half the age they were supposed to.

Sunpaw sat atop the hill, feeling the cool wind, slip through her fur and leaving her with a chilled spine.

_Leaf-fall has come._

Indeed it has. Frost coated the fallen leaves with white every morning, and when the days wound into darkness, it left the Clan with crisp cold, that always managed somehow to leave them shivering in their nests. The days were dark and gloomy, shadowed by the thick sheet of swollen gray. Prey was hiding away now, hunting was good no more, and neither was the happiness in the Clan.

In the last moon of greenleaf, when Cloudwind had warned her to watch out, she predicted it all to be like this. Her uncontrollable fretting, that she pleaded to whisk away, left her unfocused during training sessions. Mousepaw and Tigerpaw repeatedly subvert her, feeding their (and Furledwhisker's) egos. They stalked around camp like leaders now, and when they once were curious, respecting kits, they were now stuck up, conceited jerks to her and even to Pouncefoot.

_They have the nerve..._she thought angrily.

Stormpaw, too, was quite odious to her as well, possibly because of the influence he caught up from Cloudwind. She tried to avoid the medicine cat den the best she could, but Pouncefoot often sent her there after training sessions so her scratches could be treated.

It hit her that she would receive her warrior name soon enough, probably by the time leafbare came. She had to start focusing on her skills if she is ever to become a warrior in time. It also harried her that Tigerspirit and Radiantmask never came to her, for comfort or anything. And if she told Pouncefoot- the only cat she could really trust at that point- of her situations with everyone and everything, he was sure to blank out. It became more and more clear to her that he was definitely on the verge of insanity, driven by loss and confusion. She was aware that the very sight of her, reminded him too much of his lost mate.

That said, she was completely and utterly alone.

Sunpaw sighed. She drew a paw over her whiskers and curled up on the crisp grass. It irritated her pelt, but she ignored it, and watched the faint golden light in the clouds turn the sky palely yellow.

"No one said Clanlife was going to be easy, Sunpaw."

She swung her head around. Standing several fox-lengths behind her was who she least expected to see. She dipped her head at Scarletfur and the ginger she-cat sat beside her.

In silence they stood, until Sunpaw, not even thinking, hissed out, "Why did you come here? I thought you hated me after the idea I gave Smokestar for your kits to become apprentices at three moons old."

Scarletfur sighed. "I wouldn't say 'hate'. Perhaps tenacious at you and at the suggestion. But they are doing well, and I figured that having those feelings at my Clanmate at a time like this was not wise. I may not be your friend, Sunpaw, and it may surprise you that I have come to see you, but I am your Clanmate."

"I was astonished that you came. If anyone, I would have thought it would be Pouncefoot or Smokestar. We barely acknowledged one another in the first place."

"I am aware that you have rivals, yes?" Scarletfur asked, licking her chest. Her ears angled in Sunpaw's direction, like she was eager to know. Her eyes met Sunpaw's.

"I guess," Sunpaw replied, not exactly keen on telling this cat she barely knew. "Furledwhisker, he always acts as if I am some sort of flea, crawling around his pelt." She left out everything about Cloudwind.

"Could be he is blind over who to trust since his own brother betrayed him and Clan. Has anyone ever told you about Emberclaw and Redscar?"

Sunpaw shook her head. "I would rather not hear about things like that right now though. I came up here to clear my mind. It is not exactly working though. I still am keeping myself up at night thinking about the other Clans...and everything else."

Scarletfur nodded. "I understand. Everyone's claws are at the ready in case those badger-hearts decide to lay siege upon us a second time. I still can't believe we were able to hold them off though. And you did amazing. It's like you were never a kittypet in the first place. Like you were born a warrior."

_Yeah, _Sunpaw thought, _Seems that way. _"I am tired. I want to go back."

"Yes," Scarletfur agreed. "Let's. I want to speak to my kits and ask them how their training is going." She started padding downhill.

Sunpaw followed, yawning. She better get some sleep that night, or else she would be ready to bite of some ears.

**That still wasn't as great as I wanted it to be. And I feel weird having it be Scarletfur going up there to talk with Sunpaw instead of Pouncefoot or Smokestar. I really want to put every character in there though. So, meh. Please review! I do love this story, and I really want your votes for Sunpaw's warrior name. Right now it is a tie between Sunshade and Sunmask, and she can't have two names. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing! I love you guys!**

**~Destiny**


	25. Chapter 24

**Welcome back to this story! I really hope this is a good chapter, because I am getting sick of letting myself down. I think I am going to extreme on this story. I need more basic ideas, that yet make sense. I need time to think about Sunpaw, so the next couple chapters are going to be from Midnight and Ivystar. Thank you for all reviews, and all reviewers. I could not do this without you. Well actually I could, but you have definitely made it more fun this way. I love you** guys!

**Disclaimer: I do not own warriors, and I shouldn't even have to say why.**

_Like shards of fallen sky, pieced together his vision. With each part of his sight of whatever he was meant to behold, a shrill, ear-shredding symphony of an unknown noise cut through what was left. He cringed, flattened his ears until the sounds passed, and continued to stride forward, deeper into the darkness that welcomed him; and welcomed him like a wound in battle. _

_They were claiming him, it was claiming him. He could not possibly imagine what kind of dread was waiting in deathly patience, just knew that it must be beyond any nightmare he has ever had, from when he began to walk alone, to when he walked with loners. There was a difference, he knew, but either way, he was not part of anything, belonged to anyone, except his own will. _

_That was about to change._

_May he be guided or led or even killed, but in every way, and anyway, he was not going to make all of his own decisions. There will always be a part of him, though even a hair own his pelt, that will have a say in which way his path may lead him. Never again will he be completely himself. A possession, you might say, an inheritance, will forever weigh in on any subject, and at the worst of times, probably even control each motion he makes, any motion that perhaps, when his complete self, he would never dare to make._

_What could he be gaining be the dire pain of both his body and mind he was about to endure? He knew it was something that must be grand, or at least worth the agony. Thoughts washed upon him, unanswered questions racked his brain, but he did not slow, he had no choice. The horrible fate was already beginning its claiming. Fear swelled up inside of him, fear of losing a piece of him that he never wished to be lost, but upon this choice he had made, it would be gone forever._

_Forever._

_Forever lost. Forever non-existent. Forever gone from memory of what could have been the right choice, the right path, but yet now he would never know. He could not turn around, he could no longer think through it. It was too late to change his destiny now. Twas this destiny that of which was always meant to be? Or did his own sick determination threaten to let what he was meant to be be carried away; carried away like a lifeless fish in a churning river? That could not possibly be correct, he felt right like he was, or at least who he wanted to be, or was driven to be._

_But there was however, a goodness to it all, and at was at worst bittersweet. He would gain the trust of those who would never trust again, of even those who would kill him if they had the chance. He knew one specific being who would. But now that they would know what he had gone through for them. Or at least that is what they would think. It was not really for him in his own mind. More for himself and the one who had helped him through his journey, and ended it with the belief that he would continue on, as the one. A savior and a destroyer, but each would taste delightful on his tongue, through blood and through triumph._

_Suddenly light, faint though it was, but slightly brighter than the complete and utter darkness he was walking through now, not able to see where he was going, just going as it was. The closer he got, the more unsure he felt, and in every paw step came an assuring prayer to his own self that everything was going to be okay._

_The voice then slithered through the putrid air and slipped into his ears with an awful tone that both exhilarated him and frightened him to all ends. "At last, you come, and at last you see the truth behind what words I have spoken to you. This is not a dream, nor is it a nightmare. It is real, completely real, I promise."_

_He wished to speak, and even parted his jaws, but there was an invisible force field that stopped his words._

_"Do not speak," the voice commanded. "We will speak for you."_

_He obeyed._

_For what seemed to be lifetimes there was nothing except him, the darkness, and an eerie silence that sent chills along his spine. For moments on end he walked, and walked until he heard the voice once again and finally. "Open your eyes, Midnight and seek your fate."_

_And so he did._

_What happened next he knew not, except for the voice speaking and the most pain he has ever felt in his life and the worst he will probably ever feel. The voice had to ensure him that he was not in pieces, floating in a pool of blood on the ground, the already scarlet ground. He even begged to be dead, to die and never return to light again. He would never be able to describe what he had gone through, for it was that extreme, he would only be able to say that it was beyond any horror he could ever imagine. He did not even know what was slicing at him, it was sharper and larger than a claw or tooth even one of a lion._

_"Go ahead," the voice jeered, "Scream."_

_He did, and if anyone were to hear it, they would never sleep again._

_Suddenly, the voice began to recite words, words he would never hope to hear again. **"From wherever one may come, and however they may be raised, there is always going to be evil deep within even the most pure of hearts. We bring it out and reveal it to the world so that it may be heard of its imperfections that can never be redeemed as good. Whatever the act may be, out of anger, pain or utter madness, it should never be held in. The world will feel it now, out of this cat's claws, teeth and hate. May blood taint the air and flood the ground with misery. May they all be reminded that however hard they strike back, the darkness shall return, and return enough times to gain what is wanted and needed by their hardened souls. Gleaming in the nights, as the stars fade into shadows, this cat's wrath will forever be felt, for now the darkness claims him."**_

_Shrieks and yowls of the dying and wounded battered at his ears and they grew louder and louder until he was sure it was to deafen him forever. His own scream joined in, until everything stopped and he was left with nothing._

* * *

Midnight opened his eyes and immediately he was grateful to see the light of day. He felt the same he had when he had shut his eyes, at peace and at ready for whatever the next moment may bring him.

He did not need to feel the evil running through his veins and poisoning his blood to know it was there, for what he experienced was beyond any nightmare he will ever see in his slumber. He smiled in pure joy that he was what he was now. He no longer had to worry about gaining the trust of his warriors. He could now sit upon his hill and watch as they battled one another, preparing for the siege was was designated to lay upon the Clans by his preceder.

He stretched out his legs and padded outside his cave. It was dawn and most cats were out and blinking the sleep from there eyes. Without hesitation he yowled, gathering them at his paws.

"Attention!" he snapped until all were quiet and looking at him. "I have completed the ritual."

With those few words, the cats were in an uproar of happiness.

Midnight couldn't help but grin. "We are now more than capable of destroying the Clans and fulfilling our leaders wishes. It has come into all of our minds that Radiantmask's daughter has returned from her hiding, and she is the so-called savior of the warrior code and StarClan. Well, I say ha! Let them rejoice in false congratulations. We will continue our training, attack on ShadowClan, and rule the forest! Even badgers and monsters will now down to us! Need I say more?"

The cats below him hissed in disapproval.

"I do not!" Midnight agreed. "Go my cats, go show the forest who you are and who you are meant to be. Blackstorm will be in our favor when we stand strong in the battlefield of dead ShadowClan cats." He said the next part to himself. "And evil will win once and for all."

**Uh oh! Midnight is evil now! Mwah ha ha! I love this chapter. I think I did really well! But I want to hear your opinion! Review and tell me what you thought of this chapter and vote on my poll for Sunpaw's warrior name!**

**~Destiny**


	26. Chapter 25

**Like I said last chapter, this chapter is going to be with Ivystar. Thanks for the reviews. I really appreciate them. I literally check the story as often as I can to see if I had gotten any reviews.**

**SwiftStar1- I know right! I don't think the cats realize how stupid they are being.**

**Silver Sakura-hime- You bet! Have you noticed before how he was questioning the evil? Well not anymore!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own warriors, and I will leave it at that.**

Ivystar grimaced.

She hated the smell of mouse bile. She remembered back when she was an apprentice all of those moons ago when she had check the elders for ticks. In fact, she felt bad for making Shadepaw do it. He was such a good apprentice, strong, dedicated and loyal to his Clan, even though he wasn't born into it. He didn't know that though, and Ivystar didn't want to be the cat to tell him. He seemed so happy where he was, and where he belonged.

The brown and white tom stepped out of the den, paws filthy and head hanging low. "I am sorry I has you do that," Ivystar said as he walked by. "All of the other apprentices are out on patrol and Brackenfoot wouldn't stop complaining."

He shrugged. "I will go get my paws washed."

"Please," Ivystar replied, screwing up her face.

As he padded off, she spotted someone at the entrance of the camp. Oakfoot did too. "It is about time!" he hissed. "Ivystar has been waiting for you, Cherrystar!"

The cream she-cat dipped her head at him. "Has Fishstar arrived yet?"

"He has," Ivystar told her. "We can begin the meeting. Come into my den."

She gestured to a little opening under the Tallrock. She didn't usually sleep in there, unless it was raining or snowing. WindClan cats liked to sleep out in the open, under the stars where they can feel the safety of their warrior ancestors guarding and watching over them into the nights.

As they slipped in, Ivystar noticed a large silver tom sitting against the corner of the den. "At last. My Clan is already waiting for me to return. Could you not have come faster?"

"I apologize, Fishstar, I was not going to begin the meeting until Cherrystar arrived. Forgive me for the delay," Ivystar murmured.

He narrowed his eyes but nodded.

"Alright," Ivystar began, facing the two other leaders. "We know that what I had originally planned, attacking every half moon, did not come to be. I admit that it was the greatest of ideas to waste our strength on those fox-hearts. But we must discuss our next ambush. The first one was just a warning to them. Now we have to bring it all out. Are there any suggestions?"

"Perhaps we could raid their food supply," Cherrystar said, shifting in her position. "That would hurt them. We could have some of our warriors fighting theirs, and send the apprentices for their fresh-kill pile."

Fishstar shrugged. "That is not a bad idea. There can be one or two other cats to guard them and fend off the ShadowClan cats that have escaped the others."

Ivystar nodded. "I really like that. We should send in bigger waves of warriors. And for an extra thing, we could destroy some nests and the dens too, so they will be busy hunting and rebuilding their camp."

The other two cats murmured in agreement. "We also need to remind them why we are doing this," added Fishstar. "A few of my warriors have begun to lose interest in this. We also need time to have them practice through the plan and let them be sure on what they are supposed to do. We cannot afford to have any mistakes."

"Maybe we could all wait for a little while," Cherrystar said. "One of the best ways to attack is to let your enemy think you are safe. That is how hunting works? Why can it not be with assailing?"

"Very well then," decided Ivystar. "When one of my apprentices becomes a warrior, we shall attack them."

"Works for me," Fishstar said. His whiskers twitched in amusement. "It will give me plenty of time to test you out on our alliance." His face suddenly grew serious. "Some of my warriors are questioning you, Ivystar."

Cherrystar nodded. "Mine too. Especially the Queens."

"Then I will find a way to show them that I am not their enemy," Ivystar replied. "In the meantime, go back to your Clans and tell them of our plan. I don't care how many wounds we receive in the fight. I will stop at nothing to be sure that ShadowClan get what they deserve for moons of treachery and mocking to the rest of us, even if that means losing the rest of my lives."

Cherrystar and Fishstar blinked at her. Ivystar sighed. She knew they didn't have the same passion she did.

* * *

_Sleep._

The only word Ivystar could think of at that moment. He eyes would not stay open. She did not know what it was, but since night fell, a wave of exhaustion drowned her and weighed her down, making her every paw step slow with fatigue. She had not yet told her Clan about the next attack on ShadowClan. But that could wait to morning...

Darkness.

And then a light, a silver spotlight peeking through her shadow of sleep, reached her and gave her pelt a bright shine. She slanted her eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden radiance.

The darkness around her began to brighten, reveling to her, a sparkling forest with trees colored with green leaves and budded with vibrant flowers. The air was pregnant with the aroma of freshly blooming plants and clean air.

_I am in StarClan._

Ivystar looked around, waiting for so eone to come for her. She did not know what kind of message her ancestors could be giving to her. Perhaps a rough leafbare or a shortage of prey. Whatever it was, she would heed it carefully.

"Greetings, Ivystar, leader of WindClan."

She whipped around and gaped at who she beheld. The most peculiar looking cat she had ever seen was standing right behind her. Her fur was a gorgeous tabby hue, unlike anything she had seen before. Her chest and paws were golden and dappled with black spots. "Who in StarClan's name are you?"

The cat smiled, a funny sight that both soothed and frightened Ivystar. "My name is not important. I just want to warn you of the mistake you are making. I will only say this once, so I hope you are wise."

"I do not know you," Ivystar growled. "How do I know I can trust you? What is this about anyway? And you better speak clearly or else I will tear you pelt off!"

The cat looked amused and purred. "Oh, you remind me of my brother when he was kit. Of course until it happened..." her bright amber gaze rested upon something in the distance, her look of amusement vanished, leaving a dead, blank look across her face, like she had instantly died, but her tail tip twitched.

"I can't read your mind," spat Ivystar, growing impatient. "And I am confident in myself that I am making the right choices for my Clan. I don't care what you say!"

The starlit warrior blinked at her pleadingly. "Why are you all so foolish? Must you be so blind to the truth that hides behind everything that has happened in the past? All the battles fought, all the promises made...all the betrayals leaving many sick with grief and anger. I will give another chace, Ivystar, to you and all of your misguided followers: you are doing wrong and step down from the plans you have made against the Darkness that is Bright and face what really lurks in the shadows!"

"I will not take orders from a fallen warrior I do not know and therefore, can't trust. If you want me to listen, than you should have sent someone else to consult me."

"You don't understand! No one else will! I am your only guardian at this time, this time when something so horrible will happen if you don't heed my warning. I beg of you, Cherrystar and Fishstar, please don't lead the Clans into more destruction than it already has fallen into."

Ivystar stared down at the strange she-cat. Her eyes glistened with tears. Her legs were bent and shaking like she could just barely hold herself on her paws. She bristled in anxiety, waiting for Ivystar to reply. But what could she say? She had never seen a live cat so desperate, let alone a StarClan warrior. But then again, this cat she knew not, and whoever she might be could be for the advantage of an enemy. She had to be careful who to trust at this time, for leafbare drew near and she struggled to keep the loyalty of the other Clans.

"Oh, please! For the sake of StarClan!" begged the she-cat.

Ivystar leaned in close to her. "I don't know who you are, or what Clan you came from. I am extremely agreeable with my decisions and never regret them. These issues have become bigger than what they sprouted from. If you think I will give that up for a lone, desperate, peculiar StarClan cloud-brain, change you judgement. I am not a stupid furball. I am an honored leader. Go beg on the dirt for some dull-witted fool, because you are wasting your time with me."

"But the radiance...it-it will die out and-"

"Did you not hear me?"

Ivystar padded away into the starlit forest, followed by an awe-struck silence that haunted her until she woke.

**Oh no! Ivystar won't listen! What will happen now? I hope to get the next chapter in sometime in the next few days. And, I have decided to call this trilogy my Radiance Trilogy. Please review and vote for Sunpaw's warrior name. Later!**

**~Destiny**


	27. Chapter 26

**Hey! I am back for another chapter of Sunny Darkness. I just want to warn you that this story might only be a few more chapters long and that you should all get voting for Sunpaw's warrior name as soon as you can! Thanks for the reviews. I got some new people reviewing. Thank you! **

**And guess what? This story has been nominated by Dustwhisker the Cat, founder of The Best Stories on Warriors FanFiction, for literally the best stories on Warriors FanFiction. That never could have happened without you guys! I thank you all the way to StarClan and back!**

**Disclaimer: Yadda yadda yadda I don't own Warriors!**

Sunpaw carefully padded forward, not even able to hear her own pawsteps against the ground. The first snow of leafbare was falling, but it had only begun. The grass was still green and the lake still unfrozen. Prey was becoming scarcer by the day, so when Sunpaw was trekking through the forest and spotted a large, plump rabbit, her heart nearly leaped from her chest.

She continued after the animal, keeping her eyes on the haunches of the rabbit and also paying attention the where she was placing her paws. Even the freezing white flakes in her pelt didn't bother her. And she would be happy to come back to Pouncefoot, Furledwhisker and Mousepaw with the prey in her jaws. It would make her feel like she was never part of any prophecy and the Clan wasn't in any danger that she had to face. Things would be as if she had lived in ShadowClan her whole life, even if it was for a few short moments.

At last, the brown-furred creature stopped. It sat motionless on the ground only its nose twitching. Sunpaw got down swiftly waiting for the right moment to leap.

After many moments of the only noise being the wind in her ears, she braced her legs and jumped, claws outstretched and aiming for the rabbit's throat. She landed directly on top of it and took it in her jaws, snapping its neck. She whirled around and began heading back to camp.

The snow began to stick to her pelt in clumps, weighing down her fur. It gathered quickly on the ground and pretty soon only the tips of the grass were the color around. She shivered as some of the flakes slipped between her brown and white hairs and chilled her flesh. She bounded quickly.

Sunpaw entered camp and immediately began searching for her mentor. She caught him sitting beside Smokestar as they spoke. A smile broke out into her face, and she padded over.

"Pouncefoot!" she called, as she got closer to him. "Look!" She held up her rabbits proudly and waited for a reaction.

She did not expect Smokestar to be the cat to praise her first. "My, Sunpaw, that is great! I see that your mentor has taught you well. That thing will feed several warriors!"

She dipped her head respectfully at the gray leader, and turned her head to her father.

Pouncefoot stared at the prey in silence. His eyes were narrowed, and his eyes flattened. She expected him to hiss at it, like it was an enemy warrior. But he didn't move or make a sound.

Sunpaw scowled at him. For days now he has been quiet and more reserved than usual, but this was becoming ridiculous. Why would he not want to congratulate is own daughter on her catch? She would ask him later, but she decided to leave him.

She padded to the middle of camp and settled down to eat. She had earned her prey, and was going to eat it whether Pouncefoot was proud or not. As she was about to take a bite, Furledwhisker padded up with Mousepaw.

"Where did you get that?" he demanded, halting. Mousepaw stopped behind him and looked at her with both suspicion and curiosity.

Sunpaw glared at the two cats with burning green eyes. "I caught it," she replied, trying to stay calm. "So stop looking at me like I am a murder suspect. Just keep walking, and don't bother me."

Furledwhisker's lips curled back into a snarl, revealing glinting white snow. "You fool! It is leafbare and prey is scarce. If you keep it all to yourself it will be a useless patch of fur and bones."

"Then I will share it with someone," growled Sunpaw. "But it sure isn't going to be you!"

"Hasn't your mentor taught you anything about respect, you lazy, worthless kittypet?" Sunpaw flinched at Mousepaw's bitterness. She didn't know Furledwhisker would influence the gray she-cat so much in his hatred to her. "Go find a Twoleg to run to and a bell to play with, instead of wasting our time."

Sunpaw felt her heart drop. The words of the young cat stung her. She swallowed a snarl and blinked. "I am sorry."

Both Furledwhisker and Mousepaw looked surprised at her response.

"I am sorry for who I am and that I will never be able to impress you or anyone. I am sorry for wanting a new life away from the pitiful pampering and tasteless food. I am sorry for ruining your entire day with just my appearence in front of you. I am sorry I can't change my past and make you think different of me. I am sorry that I can't be perfect for this Clan or for anybody." Her voice faltered for a moment and she had to take a breath to hold back a cry. "And I am most sorry that I will never be good enough a warrior for you to finally see past where I came from, and instead see who I am."

Furledwhisker looked shocked. Sunpaw knew he wasn't expecting that from her. After a moment, it disappeared and was replaced by the expression he had before she spoke. "Don't even try to make me feel bad for you. You didn't have to stay here and train, but you decided to anyway, and you tainted the blood of the warriors with your very existence! Don't you even realize that it was because of you the other three Clans are pitted against us? If Smokestar had just gotten rid of you, than we wouldn't have to exhaust ourselves everyday with extra battle training and border patrols, and we wouldn't be lying awake in our nests at night, fearing that an attack will welcome us when we leave. You are _very _lucky you are here, Sunpaw. Be grateful that you are alive."

He stalked off with Mousepaw following closely and left Sunpaw gaping after them. _I didn't choose to stay! I had too! If only you knew that I am the cat chosen to save you, then you would think twice about messing with me like that again._ She gazed down at her rabbit, suddenly losing her appetite. _And now my own father is ignoring me! Do you really think I should grateful? _

She shoved the rabbit away viciously and got to her paws. Grumbling curses towards Furledwhisker and Mousepaw, she stomped off. She walked into the warrior den and curled up in her nest. _Why did it have to me? And why must I be so hated about it?_

* * *

_Sunpaw opened her eyes. She was standing in the darkness, plain darkness, blacker than anything she had seen before. She didn't know where she was, but she knew it was a dream, because she was aware of her own self breathing, and her heart beating rapidly._

_It only beat faster. She swung her head left and right, or at least she thought she was. Was she even moving? She could not tell, not as long has her entire consciousness was engulfed in nothing but complete and utter blackness. She needed to wake up. She could have been falling, or trapped under an enemies claws, for she could feel miniature daggers piercing through her fur and slicing open her flesh._

Blazing Sun!

_That was Tigerspirit's voice, and it held a type a panic that only made Sunpaw more frightened. She was aware of the she-cat's presence around her, but it was extremely faint, and she could not detect where it was coming from._

Quick! You have to get out of there! Or else...black...he...

_The presence faded, and Sunpaw was all alone, at least until she saw two yellow eyes, open up, filling the darkness with haunting golden light._

_"Not you!" Sunpaw screamed. _

_"Yes, me."_

_Blackstorm smiled, adding a crimson hue to the area around her as it glistened on his teeth. _

_"Hello," he snarled, maintaining his ghastly appearance. "It feels like it has been forever since he have last encountered each other, even though I have been there the entire time."_

_"What do you mean?" asked Sunpaw, backing away. _

_He got closer. "Do you not realize? I am your fear, your anger, your uncertainty and even when you are rapturous, I stalk you, watch your every move. I am your nightmares, Sunpaw, and I am the nightmares of those around you. But at last you see me too, after a long while."_

_"It all happened to quickly for me," Sunpaw retorted. _

_"Go on, share with me your indignation, it only feeds my power."_

_"Why have you come anyway? To gloat? Yes, I have made enemies, yes they have irked me until I could not stand it. I admit it. Just go away and leave me alone! I am aware of the danger I am in to try and stop you."_

_"You don't seem so keen on the idea anymore," Blackstorm observed delightfully. "Would you give up now when you have come so far? That would ruin my fun, toying with you. It gladdens me to watch your mother suffer."_

_"I won't let her die," Sunpaw assured him. "Go on ahead, continue your fun, just know that I will not stand for it. The first time we met, I promised I would stop you, and I live up to the promise."_

_"Even with the challenges that will be thrown at you? Don't be a fool. Not even you will be able to dodge the obstacles of life despite your 'power'. All heroes have had more than their enemies to deal with you know. Shall I remind you of them?"_

_"There is no need. I am ready."_

_"Be wise, you kit. Not everything is as it seems. I wonder how long it will take before your Clanmates realize it."_

_Sunpaw opened her mouth to reply venomously, but she felt the claws around her sink deeper. She winced as she felt hot blood stream through her fur and like a scarlet waterfall, fall to the ground. _

_"I have you in my hold. And you will not escape."_

_She spat at him and thrashed and kicked but to no avail. The claws only dug deeper and horrible pain seared through her veins, reaching her muzzle to the tip of her tail. She gasped. Her breath stopped in the middle of her throat and she coughed, spewing blood over her pelt. _

_"I have had enough of worrying you, Sunpaw. The real pain is about to begin."_

_She hacked up several more clots of dark crimson and black. Bloody mucus dripped from her lips and soaked her paws. Her claws slid out and she tore at invisible grass until she left deep scars among the stained ground._

_Blackstorm smiled a wicked smile and the claws released her and she fell, fell down into o bottomless_ darkness.

**Ooh! That was pretty bad. I feel so terrible for Sunpaw! After this there will only be about three or four more chapters including the epilogue. As soon as this story ends I am posting the last book! Thanks again for all the reviews that motivated me to write this and got me nominated. I love you all and will see you soon! **

_**VOTE ON MY POLL FOR SUNPAW'S WARRIOR NAME BEFORE THE STORY ENDS! **_

_~ Destiny _


	28. Chapter 27

**Hello! I am back! I think this chapter might be a little shorter than what I intend it to be, but please review and enjoy it anyway. Thanks for the reviews from last chapter. And I will warn you now that this chapter is your LAST CHANCE to vote on Sunpaw's warrior name. Right now Sunmask is winning. Thanks for everyone that has reviewed and voted. It means so much.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. Is my name Erin Hunter? I did not think so.**

"Keep those legs tucked in! Duck, don't swivel! Yes, now leap...leap...leap!"

Sunpaw jumped at the command and felt the force above her collapse over her. She turned and ignored the dizziness in her head as she pinned Soottail to the ground. The gray and black tom smugly grinned at her and feel limp beneath her paws. "You do well," he complimented. "Probably the best apprentice I have ever seen at fighting."

"Thank you," Sunpaw quipped as she stepped off of him. He got up and shook the snow from his pelt.

Pouncefoot padded up to her. "You are doing well," he whispered. "I think you are focusing better with him than you did with the other apprentices."

_Ironic considering my dream a few days ago. _"I feel more comfortable when Furledwhisker isn't busy judging me instead of his own lump of fur. I feel his eyes on my all the time when I spar with Tigerpaw and Mousepaw and it makes my pelt itch."

Pouncefoot didn't reply, just gazed off into the distance, like she wasn't there at all. Sunpaw puffed and dug her claws into the ground waiting for her father to notice her right in front of him like he did just two seconds earlier.

_Why does he suddenly seem even more far off than usual. One minute he'll be paying strict attention to you, and the next he'll be daydreaming about who knows what! _Sunpaw began to notice that in training, his instructions came in short bursts and then he will fall silent for several heartbeats. His eyes often held empty expressions, so it was impossible to know how he was feeling. She often wondered if he regretted bringing her back, but shut the idea out almost immediately. "He sees me as part of Radiantmask. He could never bare to lose me," she would tell herself in hope that she was right.

But then again, if that was true, he did really see her as part of Radiantmask, and not her own self. She tried not to convince herself that that he only loved her because of who she came from, but at times it was difficult. The best she could do was sit and pray that everything would hold up around her and not fall to pieces...at least not right away. Her encounter with Blackstorm got her more and more paranoid with each sound around her, from rustling leaves to the soft purrs of her Clanmates. After that night she would close her eyes and hope from the bottom of her heart that everything won't break.

Sunpaw turned away from Pouncefoot. "Do you want to go at it again?" she asked Soottail who was flexing his claws a few fox-lengths off. "Maybe I have done good but I still don't feel confident enough when I pin. What if it were an enemy warrior? They would try to break free."

"Explain no further," Soottail said. "Let's go." Before Sunpaw could comprehend his words, he crashed into her, hooking his claws into her shoulder fur. She yowled as she smashed into the ground on her back. For a moment, black spots dotted her vision and she could hardly breathe, but she quickly revived and she glared at Soottail.

"You should not have done that," she hissed. She kicked with her back legs, which weren't pinned, and unhooked his grip on the snow covered ground. His haunches collapsed and she shoved herself upward, removing him from her shoulders. In a matter of seconds, he lay splayed out on the ground. Sunpaw pushed her paw hard on his spine, and he did not move. "I think I have it better now," she said mockingly.

Their eyes met and they both broke out laughing. Sunpaw released Soottail and they sat next to own another, trying to catch your breath.

"What are you two, a couple of kits?"

Sunpaw and Soottail swung their heads around to face Pouncefoot. Sunpaw's laughter faded to a forced smile. "Oh, please, can't we have a little fun?" she meowed. "Because it sure beats training like the Dark Forest. Smokestar should relax; the other Clans haven't attacked in a while so it's obvious it won't be any time soon."

Soottail defended her. "I mean please, if they procrastinated this long, than it was inevitable that they must have gotten into a hissy fit for themselves and broke off their alliance. By this time they must have forgotten all about Sunpaw once being a kittypet. I swear, by the time she is a warrior, our Clanmates would have too."

Sunpaw shot him a grateful look.

"Do you want to be cleaning out Rainfur's den for the next moon?" Pouncefoot hissed.

Soottail looked down and shook his head.

"Then behave like warriors! You too, Sunpaw, your final assessment is coming along soon, so I suggest you stop acting like a rabbit with a pelt full of fleas, you hear me?"

Sunpaw nodded.

"Very good. This doesn't have to be about Ivystar and the others anyway. You know Smokestar will do what he can to make this Clan strong again. Even if it is unavoidable that we fall, we should still try to pick ourselves up."

"Fath-Pouncefoot's right," Sunpaw stammered. Soottail blinked at her with confusion. "Let's just finish up our training so we can get back to camp and get warm. My paws are about to freeze off."

The faced each other again, and launched themselves into training. Soottail bested her each time they did, after that. She was beginning to feel discouraged, after Pouncefoot scolded them. Her final assessment was almost upon her, and she didn't at all feel ready. Before she knew it, The Black Horror would get tired of waiting, and she would have to face her destiny. With each knew paw step she took, the more she regretted ever leaving her Twoleg nest that early greenleaf day.

_You have probably forgotten me Amy, but I promise that I will never ever forget you. _

**Bleh. That was short. I felt that this story needed an extra something before Sunpaw got her warrior name, but I don't know if I captured what I wanted to. Please review. And I will post the next chapters as soon as I can. Aren't you excited for Sunpaw's warrior name? Let's get 85 reviews for you to find out what it is. And Mousepaw and Tigerpaw too. **

**-LAST CHANCE TO VOTE ON SUNPAW'S WARRIOR NAME! DO IT, DO IT NOW!**

**~Destiny**


	29. Chapter 28

**Okay guys. Two more chapters left, and then the epilogue. Your votes have been cast, and now Sunpaw's warrior name will be revealed. Thank you for the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Warriors.**

Smokestar padded through camp, calling the same six names over and over again. When Sunpaw heard her name, she felt her spine tingle and her fur bristle.

Her final assessment.

She rose to her paws and slowly walked over to her leader, starting to wonder if she had heard him right, and she wasn't just imagining it. But she knew that everything was really happening when Smokestar nodded to her and asked, "Are you ready?"

She swallowed hard and answered with a slight dip of her head.

"Good then."

Smokestar kept calling the others, and when Furledwhisker, Mousepaw, Curvefang, Tigerpaw and Pouncefoot showed up, he led them away.

The forest suddenly seemed much bigger than Sunpaw remembered. The trees were closer together, and the scents and sights that she became so familiar with all seemed the same. Her heart beat so fast she was afraid that the cats around her could hear it. She struggled to keep her breathing even, but she assumed that she wasn't doing a good job because Tigerpaw turned his head and looked at her funny.

Smokestar led them to the regular training area. Once everyone was settled he turned to them. "Your first task is as individuals," he told the apprentices. "Your mentors will give you the instructions they have planned out for all of you to accomplish. Once you have completed them, return back here to me. Be aware that we will be watching you, so do not be alarmed if you hear a twig snap or something. Is that clear?"

"It is," Tigerpaw and Mousepaw said together.

"Yes," Sunpaw replied, quieter than the other two.

"Than go on."

Sunpaw looked at Pouncefoot. Her father was staring off into the distance like he always has been doing lately. She cleared her throat to get his attention. "Oh, yes, of course. Um, Sunpaw, your duty is to hunt two mice. Try to perform the two skills I have taught you in the beginning of your apprenticeship."

"Okay," Sunpaw said to him.

"You may now begin," his voice boomed loudly in Sunpaw's ears and her paws refused to move for a second. But after a moment or two, they started to work and she sped off in the opposite direction of the other two apprentices.

Sunpaw ran for a minute, trying to gain so distance between her denmates. She knew that considering Mousepaw did not like her, that they would try and sabotage her assessment. She slowed her pace when she thought she was far enough from them. As she walked she tried detecting the scent of the prey. It hit her once she neared the ThunderClan border. The smell was strong and mouth-watering, so she knew it was close. She scanned the trees until she saw the small shape of a mouse scuffling among the tangled roots of an enormous pine. It's pelt was shaded by the branches, but its beady little eyes glowed ominously in the dark.

Sunpaw crouched ready for the right moment to lash out her paw. She felt eyes on her, but tried not to let it distract her hunting. She was aware that Pouncefoot was examining her work, but for a reason she did not know, the gaze bored holes with numbing ice. At last, the urge was unbearable and she whipped around, crunching the snow under her paws and startling the mouse away into the holes beneath the tree.

The forest in front of her was empty, but she could tell their was another presence besides her own lingering in the trees before her. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, almost as if to challenge the cat- or creature- watching her.

Suddenly, a russet shape, flung itself at Sunpaw and she squealed in surprise. The force knocked her off balance and she went stumbling backwards until she fell into the snow. It was cold on her body and she struggled to get up, but the attacker was holding her down with immense strength.

"Furledwhisker!"

The ginger tabby smiled bitterly at her.

"My assessment!"

"This is part of your assessment, frog-brain," hissed the tom, stepping off of her. "Did you really think, Pouncefoot would let you have it so easy?"

"We'll if this was Pouncefoot's idea then why isn't he fighting me?"

"You are most familiar battling him or the other apprentices. You have not yet fought me. Let's see how you do." With that, Furledwhisker launched himself at Sunpaw, claws outstretched. Sunpaw flung herself to the side and her paw twisted underneath her, sending a screeching pain flaring up her foreleg. She winced as she sidestepped again, out of reach of Furledwhisker's next attempt.

After several dodges, she grew tired and sprang at him, yowling. She caught him a little high on his muzzle with her front claws, and on his chest with hind ones. Furledwhisker shouted with awe and shook his head, in attempt to throw her off, but she refused to move. Angrily, she twisted in her spot, straining his fur from his pelt and making digger claw marks. He hissed with agony and managed to grasp her shoulder with his teeth and shove her onto the ground. Sunpaw leaped right up and ducked under his paw just before it hit the ground, spraying snow up in a flurry of white. She then struck him on the flank while battering his ears with her other paw so he would have a hard time counter attacking. When her paws grew tired, she stopped and lunged for his shoulder all together. Sunpaw felt claws sink into her hind leg while she wrestled Furledwhisker to the ground, but ignored it.

"The last time we met, you hurt me," she murmured. "This is now to show you that you have made a mistake. I _am _a warrior. I deserve my name. Your opinion doesn't matter."

Furledwhisker rolled to the side and she lost her grip. "Foolish kit." He stood, but did not attack again. "Just because you fight well, doesn't make you a warrior. You must have the heart and soul and the belief in beyond what can be seen to be a true part of ShadowClan. I will never see you as one of my Clanmates, not even if you gain nine lives."

With those words, he stalked off, leaving Sunpaw in the cold.

* * *

Sunpaw padded along side Tigerpaw. For the second part of the assessment, they were supposed to hunt in pairs. Mousepaw got to work with her mentor. It was better her than Sunpaw though, especially after what happened with Furledwhisker. She found out from Tigerpaw that he too was tested on his battle skills after being told to hunt. His assessor was Pouncefoot, so she presumed Mousepaw's was Curvefang. And now they were assigned to catch a robin. And if with anyone, Sunpaw was happy it was Tigerpaw out of the two siblings. Though arrogent, he respected Sunpaw, as she did him.

"Do you think we should both surround the robin and attack from both sides," asked Sunpaw, "Or should one of us scare it into the other's range?"

Tigerpaw shrugged and didn't reply for a heartbeat. "The first one. There is a chance the bird will fly over both of our heads."

Sunpaw nodded, understanding.

They kept walking until Tigerpaw stopped and took in a large gulp of air. "I think I smell one. It should be around here somewhere. Look around."

Sunpaw swung her head from side to side. Tigerpaw padded off a few tail-lengths and stopped, beckoning her with his tail. Sunpaw smiled, if that were her, she probably would have called his name for the whole forest to hear. She stepped in the ginger tom's paw prints, to prevent making the snow crunch beneath her. She spotted the robin standing on the branch of a bramble bush.

"You go around that tree," Tigerpaw whispered. "When I flick my tail, we'll both go. Okay?"

"Let's do it," Sunpaw whispered back.

She very carefully wound her way around the tree, the entire time, holding her gaze with the robin. When she was in the right position she nodded at Tigerpaw for ready. He saw her and after a few seconds, flicked the tip of his tail. Sunpaw bent her legs and sprang at the bird. Tigerpaw did the same and both of them were on the prey before it would even notice they were there. Sunpaw pierced her claws through the wing and Tigerpaw snapped its neck with his paw.

They both stared down at their catch. Sunpaw locked eyes with him. "We did it," she murmured.

"Yeah," Tigerpaw said. "Should we go back?"

Sunpaw dipped her head. "Let's."

She Tigerpaw scooped up the robin, she felt her paws tingle. _I can't believe it! We are going to be warriors!_

They headed back together and when they saw Smokestar, Sunpaw's heart lips curled into a smile. Tigerpaw and she padded up to their leader and showed them thier robin. Smokestar grinned warmly, and Curvefang gave a nod of approval. Soon after, Pouncefoot slipped into view and gave Sunpaw a brisk nod. She scowled at his attitude. _He doesn't even praise me? What is going on with him? _

A few minutes later, Furledwhisker and Mousepaw appeared. Mousepaw was carrying a squirrel in her jaws, her head held high with pride. Furledwhisker's eyes held a self rightious gleam that said that there was no way any apprentice was better than his. Sunpaw glared at him and with it, felt her scratches sting from the fight.

Smokestar glanced from one apprentice to another. "Curvefang," he said, shifting his gaze to look at the broad-shouldered warrior. "What do you think?"

"It appears that Tigerpaw and Sunpaw did very well."

"Tigerpaw was a fierce fighter," Pouncefoot added.

"Furledwhisker, what do you think of Mousepaw?"

"She did more that pass. She _excelled. _Her hunting was spot on, and I presume that she did well in the fighting portion of the assessment," the ginger tom said, looking questioningly at Curvefang for his agreement.

He nodded.

"And Pouncefoot."

Sunpaw's mentor and father was silent for a moment. "I was watching Tigerpaw and Sunpaw hunting. Tigerpaw had an excellent plan, and Sunpaw was very patient and agreeing with his idea. She also showed that she was skilled at hunting."

"And I suppose that she did well while fighting," Furledwhisker said, rolling his eyes.

"So, yes?"

"Yes."

"Very well then." Smokestar looked at the apprentices. He kept his voice level, but Sunpaw could see the excitement in his eyes. "We shall have their apprentice ceromony at sunhigh tomorrow. Congratulations, Sunpaw, Mousepaw and Tigerpaw."

* * *

"Let all cats old enough to hunt in the darkness join here beneath the Speaking Branch for a Clan meeting."

Sunpaw's fur bristled with anticipation. It was time for her to become a warrior at long last! All she had been worried Midnight, Ivystar, everyone vanished from her mind. As she stood at the base of the branch she was not a savior, she didn't have all the pressure atop her shoulders. She could finally be you she was meant to be from the moment she was born, a real warrior of ShadowClan.

"After moons, three cats are becoming warriors. ShadowClan is gaining strength. By those words I say, I Smokestar, leader of ShadowClan call upon each of my warrior ancestors, to look down on these three apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." He turned to Sunpaw, Mousepaw and Tigerpaw, his eyes darting from apprentice to another, eyes flashing with joy and complete happiness. Mousepaw, Tigerpaw and Sunpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code above all things and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" exclaimed Tigerpaw, his voice echoing across camp.

"I do," Mousepaw said forcefully, but silently.

Suddenly all eyes were on Sunpaw. This was it. The path she walked on as an apprentice was ending with just two simple words, and yet they held so much. Warrior cats would expect so much from her and more would race through her mind at night as she struggled to fall asleep. But at a time like this, what else could she say? "I do."

"Then," Smokestar continued, "By the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Mousepaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Mouseflight. StarClan honors you for your enthusiasm and confidence." He rested his head on the gray she-cat's. "And we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." In return, she licked his shoulder.

"Tigerpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known, as Tigerpelt. StarClan honors you for your ambiscion and bravery and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan."

Tigerpelt licked Smokestar's should when he placed his head on his.

"And lastly," Smokestar said, withdrawing from from the ginger tabby, and looking at Sunpaw with a soft warmth in his gaze. "This cat started out as a kittypet. She was very brave to take this path and endure the hardships we do now, so, I say this with great joy before StarClan: Sunpaw as a warrior, you shall be known as Sunmask. StarClan honors you for your courage and your determination and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan!"

"Mouseflight! Tigerpelt! Sunmask!" The Clan cheered after Sunmask licked Smokestar's shoulder.

_Sunmask, _she thought, _Very interesting. _

She leaped down off the oak after the other two warriors. She swung her head from side to side, searching for the familiar pelt of brown and white and those fiery amber eyes.

When she spotted them, they were coming for her. Pouncefoot stopped after their gazes met and for several moments, neither of them said a word.

"Congratulations, Sunmask," someone said but she made no attempt to see who it was.

At last she spoke, voice flat and steady. "Sunmask?"

Pouncefoot's lips turned upward slightly to form a smile but it looked uneasy, and his claws kneaded the ground, shredding the frosted grass beneath the leafbare snow. He nodded, a brief, curt movement that made Sunmask flinch. "Yes," he said. "What else would suggest for your warrior name? You are a piece of me that was lost, take..._stolen."_

Sunpaw narrowed her eyes at the word.

"I promise, my daughter. I don't love Radiantmask through you. You are not just a reminder of a said old memory to me. Forever, you will be my light in this empty, dark world. And lifetimes after I have gone to StarClan and faded from existence, the young of the afterlife will tell tales of my devotion to me daughter, and my son, who does not know of me."

"Don't speak it in words," Sunpaw said, vision starting to blur from the tears she was holding back. "I would believe it anyway."

Pouncefoot ran up to her and buried his head in her shoulder. "I hurt so badly because she is gone, Sunmask. Is it not sad that she has not come to visit me, when I miss her so dearly?" His body shook with a sob.

Sunpaw opened her mouth to murmur comforting words in his ear, but before she could do so much as breathe, an oh too familair voice rattled the camp. "We may have lost before, but we refuse to hold back now. Let you pay for the moons of pain you have caused us! WindClan, ThunderClan and RiverClan, attack!"

**Oh no! Another attack on ShadowClan from Ivystar! How will things turn out! Find out in the next (and last) chapter of Sunny Darkness! This must've been my longest chapter. I hoped you liked it! And yes, Sunmask won the votes. I did not expect it to. I will tell you now that Sunpaw's original name was going to be Sunshade. But I decided to let you guys vote. Please review!**

**~Destiny**


	30. Chapter 29

**Hello again. Thanks for all of the reviews, we have almost 90 now. This is the final chapter of Sunny Darkness, and then there will be an epilogue. Please review and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. You should already know that.**

Ivystar flicked her tail as a signal for the cats to pour in. Within the mass, Sunmask spotted Cherrystar, Blackfire and Fishstar. She stretched her eyes wide with horror and stumbled back a few steps. There were many more warriors in this attack than the last, and each cat had their lips pulled into feral snarls, and their claws viciously tearing at the ground like it was an enemy's flesh.

Sunmask narrowed her eyes in concentration, as she was swiped at by a young warrior. The cat smelled of rotting fish, and she knew right away that he came from RiverClan. She ducked below his paw and dove head first into his legs. With a surprised yowl, he flew back a little and fell to the ground. Sunmask hissed at him and fastened her teeth over his scruff. The RiverClan cat struggled and thrashed at her, finally landing a good blow over Sunmask's throat. She hacked and launched backwards, while the tom got to his paws and raced away, kicking snow onto Sunmask's pelt.

She saw spots for a moment, and she heard a piercing ringing in her ears that drowned out the sounds of battle. Each time she swallowed hurt her, and she held her breath until the pain was bearable. Shakily she got to her paws. _No, _she growled on the inside, _I am a warrior, I can do anything._

She looked around for Pouncefoot and spotted him trying to fend off several warriors that crowded around him. Blood poured from a wound on his flank and several more scratches were sprinkled across his legs, shoulders, and muzzle. He moved slow with exhaustion. Sunmask ran at him, hissing and threw herself at a tabby she-cat. She clung on to her back-for she was small enough- and tore her ears with simple nips. The tabby spun her head around and snarled before shaking Sunmask off like she were a leaf.

The tabby looked at her, anger flashing in her eyes. She stared at Sunmask for a long while, then blinked. "You are the kittypet, aren't ya?"

Sunmask growled, "No, I am not. I am a ShadowClan warrior."

"Tell yourself what you want, but there is someone who has some unsettled business with you." And she bounded off, disappearing.

Sunmask stared after her, wondering who she was talking about. _That isn't important. Right now I must fight._

She lunged for another cat surrounding Pouncefoot. Together, they managed to injure two warriors pretty badly and fend off the rest of them into the midst of the fight.

Suddenly, Scarletfur's voice broke out, cutting through the yowls and shreiks of battling cats. "The prey! Smokestar, they're destroying the prey!"

Sunmask whirled around and dropped her jaw. A pawful of apprentices were crawling about the fresh-kill pile, tearing at the prey. Two or three large toms were guarding them as they did so, and one was pinning down Scarletfur as she hissed and spat at him. Pouncefoot and Sunmask ran for them.

"I will help Scarletfur," Pouncefoot ordered. "You go for the apprentices."

Sunmask nodded and ran faster.

She bended her legs and leaped for the pile, claws outstretched at a young ThunderClan tom. Just before they sank into his body, a large force blocked her way, and as she crashed, she went reeling back many fox-lengths. Fury lit up her eyes as she gritted her teeth and looked up at the cat that blocked her path. Her gaze softened when she saw him.

"You!"

"Me," the brown and white tom growled, showing her his white teeth. "The last time we met, you sent me running back for my camp. That will not happen any more, _Sunpaw."_

"It's Sunmask," she corrected, regaining her balance. "And who might you be? Because I am dreadfully certain that we will meet again."

"I just earned my warrior name two sunrises ago. I am Shadeglare," he replied, lowering his head and padding closer to her, one slow paw step at a time. "Now, are you willing to fight me for this prey? Or will be back down?"

"I will fight," Sunmask spat.

"Bad idea."

Shadeglare lunged for her. Sunmask recoiled in shock at his speed. Before she knew it, his claws were in her shoulders, and her head was slammed against the hard ground beneath the snow. The world began spinning, and she never noticed Shadeglare's jaws in her foreleg until they shredded open her flesh. Blood stained the snow scarlet around her and she opened her mouth to screech for help, but Shadeglare covered her mouth with his paw and wickedly smiled at her.

"Do you know what kind of pain you caused us?"

_I never did anything except try to protect my Clan!_

Shadeglare hissed like he had read her thoughts. "You ShadowClan warriors will be put into your place once we are through with you," he growled. "Ivystar has this all planned out, and now you will fall, and fall hard."

Sunmask wriggled around beneath him.

"Ha! You still fight like a kittypet! Why not use your claws, you weak little-"

Sunmask moved her paw free and struck Shadeglare over the face. He shrieked in surprise and loosened his grasp on her mouth and shoulder. He was too heavy to throw off, so Sunmask kept flinging blows until he was forced to. Leaping to her paws, she bounded in the direction of the fresh-kill pile and caught the eyes of an apprentice, who was shredding a mouse with his foreclaws. She smiled sweetly at him, before raising her paw to deliver a stinging strike.

Before she could do so much as breathe, jaws closed over her throat and the world went black.

* * *

Sunmask woke in the warrior den. There was complete darkness around her and all she could see was the shape of another cat there with her. After blinking a few times, she realized it was Tigerpelt. She shifted in her nest, and left something soft on her neck. Her body was sore all over, but especially on her shoulders and legs. There was much shouting going on outside, and Sunmask couldn't help but go to see what was happening. The scents of the other Clans were gone, but the smell of blood wafted up everywhere, causing her to gag.

She peered outside. Many warriors were crowded around Stormpaw and Cloudwind. And there was a gray figure lying in front of them. Sunmask stiffened.

It was Smokestar.

Sunmask bolted from the den, ignoring the protesting pain that flared up her injuries.

_Please don't let him be dead, StarClan!_

She skidded to a halt beside Soottail. The gray and black tom had several gashes on his flank and a torn ear.

"What happened?" Sunmask asked. "Is he dead?"

Soottail replied without looking at her. "In a way. He is losing a life. That was two for this battle. The first one he lost after Cherrystar sliced his belly open. This one was after he awoke. He collapsed. Cloudwind and Stormpaw are trying to help him."

"But-"

"Silence, Sunmask," a familiar voice murmured. She turned to see Pouncefoot. "What he said is done. He will awaken. Stormpaw is busy trying to stop the bleeding. Please just relax."

"Pouncefoot," Sunmask said, "What happened to me?"

"Well, after you made it free of Shadeglare and tried to hurt that apprentice, Ivystar grabbed you by your neck." When he said Shadeglare's name, his gaze grew solemn. "I brought you to Stormpaw. That kit is working very hard for this Clan, I'll tell you that."

"Where did they all go?"

"After Smokestar lost his life, Ivystar led the Clans away. The had won the battle, Sunmask, and now our prey is destroyed. I have the worst fear that they will attack again."

"I am sure they will," Sunmask said. "And we will have to make sure we are ready." She flattened her ears against her head and returned her gaze to Smokestar. "I did not stay here just to witness the failure of my Clan. I swear in the name of StarClan, that things are about to change."

**Okay! That wraps up the last chapter of Sunny Darkness. There will be an epilogue, that I hope to have done soon. Please review and tell me what you think! Thank you!**

**~Destiny**


	31. Epilogue

**Here is the epilogue for Sunny Darkness. This is Midnight. I want to thank everyone that has ever seen and reviewed on this story. It has meant so much to me! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors! Okay, alright I said it, now don't hurt me! *sobs***

The moon was a sharp claw in the sky, the shape that Midnight thought represented him best. The Black Horror beneath him were wrapping up their training and turning to go into their dens. He let out a relaxed sigh and heaved his pelt.

What was now to come for him? His sister was dead as she lived among the stars somewhere, wasting her time and acting like a feline goddess. His mother, killed and forgotten, the price she had to pay for the moons of pain he had caused him. Blackstorm was living in darkness in a shadowed forest, watching down on him with pride. Radiantmask was growing weaker by the day, pleasing him to the highest delight.

But then of course, there was _her._

He was not to forget the feisty kit that burst into his camp one day, in attempt to capture a spy that had failed on his mission. He knew that there was going to be something about her, something that threatened to shake is leadership and, even his life, to their roots. He was never to omit that she was the daughter of his sworn enemy, and the sister of his master. He almost wanted to throw back his head and laugh, for the truth could be in her puny size and immature personality. What an unwise cat.

But then again, he was not one to overlook the possibilities that could come forth to his Clan. Even the most evil of cats must be a little careful. Not all enemies will be easy to beat, that much he knew.

It could be true that by each day she was getting stronger, but then again he was too. His visits with Blackstorm became more frequent now, and the dark tom each time would give him secrets of ShadowClan, their weaknesses, and what strengths they had, so he could learn his ways to best them. His master would teach him what he could, before morning came. The days drew on long and hard, he would sit and wait in anticipation for night to come again so he could embrace the nights with the one-who-has-shown-him-his-fate.

Midnight was no fool, he did ponder quite often over Blackstorm's past. The truth was, he tried his hardest to get the information he could from Jaws, the stubborn one. And even his spies, who he sent to ShadowClan territory to perhaps not only gather the light on their tactics and code, but to also see if there could be a slight spotlight upon Blackstorm, maybe, but he knew is that he was not going to get what he needed directly.

Midnight stood and stretched, prepared to sleep until the sun rose again, but before he could go to his den, a sound emitted from the brambles protecting the camp. He narrowed his eyes and growled, searching for where the noise came from. If it was a Clan cat, ha! No kind of doom would be worse than the one he was sure to deliver.

The remaining cats outside, turned their heads at the sound too. All pelts bristled and all claws unsheathed. Midnight padded down the hill quickly, ready to face anyone-or anything-that was to reveal itself to the night.

Slowly he bared his teeth and braced himself for an attack, but all he saw was a flash of blue eyes and a tabby pelt. They blinked at him curiously. "I warn you," Midnight snarled, "I show no mercy."

"Please," the voice was unmistakably male, "Do not harm one that wishes to make you stronger."

Midnight widened his eyes. "I don't know if I can trust you. Tell me who you are and where you come from."

"I am Thornfur, of ThunderClan," said the tom as he stepped out of the bushes. At his words, Midnight and the other Black Horror cats bristled and spat, crouching to attack. Thorn fur did not seem intimidated. "Recently, WindClan, ThunderClan and RiverClan had lain siege upon ShadowClan, for the many moons, seasons and lifetimes they have treated us like weaklings. But yet, after all of that pain and agony, our leaders chose to show mercy. That, I say is not right. Perhaps they have deserved the words and scars ShadowClan had given them for the matter of the weakness that they have claimed lay among them all. I refuse now, to be a part of that. I left them after the last attack to find my destiny in the life of a rogue. When I was walking in the forest, I overheard one of your own speaking of the strength and glory that is inevitable to come to you. So I am here now, and I wish to be part of your..."

"Horror," Midnight finished. "We, my friend, are the Black Horror. We were founded and led by a former ShadowClan warrior, who seek out revenge on those who led is life in a twisted binding of lies. He was killed, though, by his own sister, and now, I as leader, will fulfill his wishes of destroying the life of the Clans. Do you wish to be a part of that?"

Thornfur seemed surprised at Midnight's reply, and quite reluctant. He slid out his claws and left scars in the ground. But his gaze softened and he looked over the cats that surrounded him. "I do."

"Very well then," Midnight said, concealing his joy. "Jaws!" Show _Thorn_ to his den if you please."

The gray tabby came forward, dipped his head at the new Black Horror member and led him away to the dens.

Midnight felt his lips curl in a hideous smile. _No one can stop us now! We are the strongest in the forest!_

_Yes, _Blackstorm's voice echoed, just louder than a whisper, _Yes we are._

**And there you have it! I can't believe this story is over! Shaded Fate is the next book in my Radiance Trilogy, so be sure to check that out as soon as I put it up, which should be up soon. I hope it to be the most dramatic of the three. A lot is going to happen! **

**Thank you for all of the reviews I have gotten and everyone who has viewed. I love you all!**

**~Destiny**


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